Calgary city council passes budget amendments, property tax increase holds at 3.6%

Calgary City Council passed amendments to the city’s revised budget Friday evening.

Despite a week filled with deliberations and amendments the average property tax increase will remain at the proposed 3.6 per cent.

The budget amendments passed with a 9-6 vote.

“We heard from Calgarians that infrastructure, housing, transit and public safety are top priorities to address in our budget,” said David Duckworth, Chief Administrative Officer in a statement.

“I’m pleased budgets have prioritized these areas to address what matters most to Calgarians so we can continue to plan, design, and build a city for Calgarians living here today and tomorrow.”

Heading into the city’s mid-cycle budget deliberations there were a group of five councillors looking to find millions of dollars in savings in a bid to not see a property tax increase.

Many of those motions ended up failing.

Mayor Jyoti Gondek warned the 3.6 per cent increase is holding the line and further cuts will hurt vital services to Calgarians.

Some of the amendments passed this week on the revised budget included more funding for improved road quality, transit, an over-budget gun range for the Calgary Police Service and funding for parks and recreation.

The budget aims to use reserve funding to pay for those items to avoid increasing the property tax hike beyond the average 3.6 per cent.