Calgary council to discuss tax rebate for residential property owners
After a city committee endorsed a motion to discuss tax relief Tuesday morning, council as a whole will have to decide whether to give residential property owners a break on their 2024 tax bills.
Council approved a 7.8 per cent property tax increase during budget discussions in November, but a new motion co-signed by six councillors wants administration to find $23 million in savings to bring that hike down.
If approved by two-thirds of council next week, the savings would essentially knock the tax increase down to 5.8 per cent by wiping out the cost of shifting the tax burden from non-residential to residential property owners.
According to the city, that shift represented two per cent of the 7.8 per cent total tax increase, or about $4 per month for the average home owner.
"Obviously people are very upset about (the tax increase), so we have to reconsider and see what we can do to find that some savings. There's room inside our municipal government to find savings," said Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean.
McLean and Cllrs. Sonya Sharp, Terry Wong, Sean Chu, Andre Chabot and Jennifer Wyness –who all voted against the initial tax increase in November – brought forth the motion Tuesday.
While the motion does not make any suggestions for where to find cost savings, some of the councillors who support the changes say programs to boost safety and affordable housing should not be touched.
"Every penny counts," said Sharp, who added the city should look at cutting costs in human resources or other internal programs to find savings.
November's budget approval saw spending increase due to a long list of new investments, including funding for the Calgary Fire Department, the city's mental health and addictions strategy and parks and playgrounds updates.
Costs also escalated due to "corporate inflationary pressures" and "human resources support," city administration said.
"I get that everything costs more... groceries, everything costs more, but some things you have to pay for and they actually return bigger results to you than the upfront costs," said Coun. Gian-Carlo Carr, who supported the motion moving to council for debate, but says he stands by his support for the budget and tax increase.
If the motion passes, administration would have to go and search for savings and bring it back to council for a meeting in February.
That work, city officials said, would be intensive and cause delays to implementing the new spending already approved.
"Something like this, I would suggest it's an across the board kind of reduction exercise. We have done those as a city in the past and we know that doing those don't always result in reductions that are palatable or it actually will result in an actual service cut," said Carla Male, the city's chief financial officer.
Council will debate the motion on Jan. 30.
Because the motion is a reconsideration of a budget that was already approved, it will need the support of at least 10 councillors to pass.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
B.C. man used Bobcat as 'weapon' while chasing away homeless people, judge says
A B.C. man has been convicted of assault with a weapon after using a skid-steer Bobcat to chase two homeless people from his lawn, injuring one of them in the process.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.