52M debate continues on at City Hall
Posted Nov 25, 2013 3:03 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s the start of budget debate at Calgary City Hall and many questions surround what to do with the $52-million in available tax room.
While many councillors have pushed for the money to be returned to taxpayers to off set lower property taxes, city administration says it should go to flood costs.
The mayor has his own ideas of how it should be used.
He would like to use it to slash the proposed 6.1 per cent property tax increase for 2014.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi says the money should be given to utilities in 2014, for flood-related water recovery costs.
He points to a request to increase draining fees, which he says would lead to a fee increase of more than $52-million for taxpayers.
“Many of my colleagues are saying we’ll give you the $52-million back, but we’re going to raise your fees by more than that,” he said. “I think that’s fundamentally dishonest, and we actually have to have a discussion about if that cost is there, how are we going to fund that cost?”
Nenshi also wants small cuts across the board to get the 6.1 per cent to just below five per cent.
However, councillors like Andre Chabot, maintain their position on using the $52-million to reduce the increase as much as possible over the long term.
