Debates over the budget
Posted Nov 20, 2011 1:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Aldermen will have their work cut out for them when budget debate begins on Monday.
Released November 9th, the proposed 2012-14 budget saw a five per cent tax hike and cuts to all city departments including police, snow removal and transit.
Alderman Gorde Lowe expressed his discontent with the reductions because he says surveys show Calgarians don’t want service cuts. “Way over 60 per cent of Calgarians told us they did not want any reductions in services. They did not want less policing, they did not want less fire, they did not want less snow removal or road maintenance and that’s what I’m seeing in this budget,” Lowe says.
Lowe adds to avoid cuts council will have to take another look at his original proposed eight per cent tax hike.
Meanwhile, Alderman Shane Keating is pleased with the proposal he says addresses the city’s realities and financial constraints.
He says he only sees a few degrees of change in the budget including finding a balance in the workforce.
Keating adds he will continue to fight hard to hold the five percent tax hike where it is. “Right now we have to go through a three year process of finding the proper efficiencies and proper way and proper structure to run the city of Calgary and I don’t think we’re there yet,” he says.
Budget debates start tomorrow and will continue through out the week.
