Calgary Minute: Issue 313

Calgary Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Calgary politics

📅 This Week In Calgary: 📅

• On Thursday, at 9:00 am, the Community Development Committee will meet. The agenda is light - two proposed sets of amendments will be discussed, one amending the Councillors’ Budgets and Expenses Bylaw and another rescinding the Members of Council Remuneration Policy. The first will increase the suggested meal allowances for Councillors by $5 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to align with current City employee rates, and the second will rescind the outdated Members of Council Remuneration Policy, which has not been updated since 2015 and no longer reflects Council’s current compensation practices. Council now sets compensation annually based on recommendations from the Council Compensation Review Committee, and these details are publicly posted.
  
  
• Calgary has experienced unusually high operating surpluses in recent years, with a $276 million surplus in 2024 and a projected $100 million this year. The City’s CFO explained that these surpluses are mainly due to higher-than-expected investment income, which averaged $35 million more annually, and lower corporate contingency spending, adding about $77 million yearly. Additional revenue came from increased electricity franchise fees, though a recent provincial rule has reduced these fees moving forward. The City maintains a Fiscal Stability Reserve as a financial safety net, but recent Council decisions have drawn down this fund somewhat. Officials noted that budget surpluses vary year to year, partly because forecasts tend to be conservative. Some Councillors have called for more realistic budgeting to avoid overly large surpluses and improve fiscal transparency.
  
  
• Calgary Transit has seen a rise in ridership, surpassing pre-pandemic levels with over 101 million trips in 2024, but it is struggling to meet growing demand due to funding limitations. Officials presented an update on RouteAhead, a 30-year plan aiming to expand transit service and increase accessibility, but emphasized the need for significant financial investment. The plan calls for an annual increase of $15 million in operating funds, $45 million yearly for new vehicles, and a $500 million facility investment to provide frequent service throughout the city by 2034. Despite service improvements like more frequent CTrains, Calgary Transit faces rising costs for fuel, wages, and maintenance, and has requested $3 million in one-time funding for 2025. With only 10% of Calgarians currently living near the primary transit network, the plan envisions expanding access to nearly half the population, but it’s unclear where the funding will come from, as just 36% of operating costs were covered by fare revenue last year.
  
  
• The City of Calgary is moving forward with a plan to replace a park-and-ride lot near the Franklin LRT Station with about 350 new housing units led by the non-profit developer Onward Homes. At least half of these units will be offered at below-market rates to support low-income residents. The project, part of Calgary’s Transit-Oriented Development program, aims to create a walkable community close to transit, schools, and services, reducing the need for car ownership. Onward Homes plans a mix of unit sizes and hopes to include pedestrian plazas, public art, and street furniture to enhance the neighbourhood. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2026 and take about 14 to 20 months to complete. The project is supported by $9.5 million from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund.
  
  
• A group of University of Calgary undergraduate students tested the effectiveness of Calgary’s 311 reporting system by examining common community issues such as snow removal, graffiti, and potholes during the winter. They reported one of two similar problems in various neighbourhoods and checked back after several days to see if the issues had been resolved. Their study found that reported problems were 26% more likely to be fixed quickly than unreported ones. The research also showed that response times varied by issue type, with simpler problems like debris removal being addressed faster than more complex repairs. The study also found no difference in service quality between wealthier and less privileged neighbourhoods, indicating equitable treatment across the city. City officials welcomed the report, noting it offers useful insights into the City’s long-running 311 system, which handles over a million requests annually.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Common Sense Calgary is gearing up for the upcoming municipal election. 

We plan to survey all of the candidates for Mayor and Council. What questions do you think we should ask? Hit reply to this email and let us know your top priorities!

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