Calgary council members ‘not impressed’ with budget docs delay

With less than 72 hours before city council is set to start budget deliberations, some aren’t exactly happy with how long it has taken for them to receive updated budget documents from the city.

Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness took to social media to express her frustration. The city provided council the documents in the afternoon a about 30 minutes after her post.

In an interview with 660 NewsRadio, Wyness says she feels administration doesn’t want a prepared council.

“We now have a weekend to go over all these revised documents, and figure out where they miraculously found savings, what programs are being cut,” she said.

“If you want an educated council, making the best investments for Calgarians, this is not how you get it,” she added.

The budget had to be revised after city administration announced last week that they had found 0.9 per cent in savings, which lowered the proposed tax rate to 3.6 percent.

Administrative changes have also rocked budget season. Prior to announcing the 0.9 per cent in savings, largely made possible through newly discovered investment income, the city dismissed their chief financial officer Carla Male.

Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp says she’s been asking for the updated budget documents all week, and she’s not impressed.

“Right before public hearing started they told me we would have them that day,” she says. “We are now Friday at 1:30 p.m. and we got them,”

Sharp says she has amendments she would like to put forward and in order to do that properly it requires adequate time.

“You have to make sure city clerk is okay with it, that it passes procedure, it’s a lot of work, and I’m just, I don’t have any more words to say other than I am not impressed.”

On Monday, city council is expected to hear from the public and Coun. Jennifer Wyness hopes the public still takes the time to weigh in.

“I really hope Calgarians come out and speak to council about this budget,” she says. “I’m sorry that the budget documents have just been updated this afternoon but do your best, and let council know what you want us to do with this budget.”

In a statement, the city confirms copies of the revised budget were sent to city council at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon.

The City adds they are “committed to ensuring transparency and timely communication.”

The budget documents can be found here.