Calgary Minute: Issue 315

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

📅 This Week In Calgary: 📅

• On Tuesday, at 9:30 am, there will be a Strategic Meeting of City Council. On the agenda is a report regarding Council’s approach to November 2025 budget adjustments. Administration is recommending that Council maintain the previously approved 3.6% tax increase for 2026, approve $96.3 million in new capital funding for 2025, and use the remaining financial capacity for high-priority needs. The report responds to ongoing pressures from inflation, population growth, and service demand. Public engagement earlier this year showed strong support for increased investment in housing, transit, public safety, and infrastructure. Proposed capital spending includes $42.4 million to address cost escalations in previously approved projects, $15 million to improve transit operator safety, and $38.9 million for city-wide maintenance. A confidential draft of the 2026 budget is also being shared with Council for early feedback. The draft reflects Council’s previous direction for a more accessible and transparent format, with clearer service links, simplified language, and better comparative context.
  
  
• Council will also consider major updates to the City's budget policies, including the adoption of a new Budget Spend Authorization and Delegation Policy. The proposed changes would shift budgeting from 61 individual service lines to a streamlined, department-level approach. Under this structure, Council would approve operating and capital budgets for 9 departments instead of hundreds of separate services and programs. The goal is to simplify the budget process, align financial accountability with the City’s organizational structure, and give Administration more flexibility to reallocate resources as priorities change. Capital and one-time operating budgets would also move to multi-year approvals, reducing the number of items requiring repeated Council review. City staff say that the goal is faster and more responsive service delivery while maintaining transparency and oversight, but this sounds a lot like an attempt by Administration to reduce the amount of control Council has over their spending!
  
  
• City Council has approved a new Infrastructure Reinvestment Program to address the city’s growing maintenance backlog, now estimated at $7.7 billion. Brought forward by Ward 12 Councillor Evan Spencer, the motion outlines eight priorities for tackling deferred infrastructure during the 2027 to 2030 budget cycle. These include identifying sustainable funding sources, revising reserve policies, and seeking provincial and federal support. Spencer, who chairs the Audit Committee, warned that relying on reserve funds is a short-term fix that fails to protect essential services. While critics, including Councillor Andre Chabot, opposed the plan over potential tax increases, most Councillors supported the proposal, citing the urgent need for stable investment. The motion passed in a 9-5 vote. Administration will report back next spring with a formal program proposal, setting the stage for long-term capital planning in the next budget cycle.
  
  
• A new report has traced Calgary’s 2024 water main break to outdated materials and lax manufacturing standards from the 1970s. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta found no fault in the City’s current practices but noted that the pipe’s design and exposure to corrosive soil conditions likely caused the premature failure. Cracks in the concrete coating and snapped steel wires weakened the feeder main, which had been expected to last a century. Calgary faced water restrictions from June to late September after the rupture, which also flooded a city street. Experts now recommend regular soil testing along critical routes, especially where chloride from road salts is common. Though monitoring has improved, the report cautions that future breaks are still possible. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said long-term investments in water infrastructure are essential and promised an update on improvements next week.
  
  
• Speaking of water, fluoride will be reintroduced into Calgary’s drinking water starting June 30th. Fluoridation was previously discontinued in 2011 when the city’s infrastructure reached the end of its lifecycle. City Council approved the reintroduction shortly after the 2021 election, after voters supported the move in a referendum. Infrastructure upgrades, including new equipment at the Glenmore and Bearspaw water treatment plants, began in 2023 and cost $28.1 million, with an additional $1 million in annual operating costs. The City says these costs are covered through water rates, not property taxes, amounting to less than 10 cents per person per month. Fluoride levels will be set at 0.7 milligrams per litre, as recommended by Health Canada. Calgary joins other Alberta municipalities such as Edmonton, Red Deer, and Lethbridge in fluoridating its water.
  
  
• Council is facing criticism from developers after voting down a package of “housekeeping” amendments to the City’s land-use bylaw. Two groups - the Calgary Inner City Builders Association and 18 high-rise developers - sent letters expressing frustration, arguing the changes would have streamlined development processes and reduced costs. The proposed amendments included updates to setback rules, garage guidelines, appeal timelines, and child-care zoning requirements. Despite being developed in consultation with industry and intended to reduce red tape, the changes were defeated in a tie vote. A follow-up motion to reconsider the decision also failed to pass. Some Councillors said they opposed the omnibus nature of the package and would have preferred to vote on the items individually. Councillor Terry Wong said some proposals felt more like policy shifts than minor updates and is working to revisit select amendments in June. Councillor Dan McLean stated he supported certain changes but voted against the package as a whole.
  
  
• Mayor Jyoti Gondek is pressing the Province for clarity on how Calgary will be reimbursed for G7-related expenses. Under current legislation, municipalities cannot sign federal deals without provincial approval, complicating what Gondek calls a normally straightforward process. While Public Safety Canada is expected to cover operational costs through the Major International Event Security Cost Framework, the funds must now flow through the Province. City officials say discussions are ongoing and an agreement is in progress. Gondek emphasized the risk of Calgary carrying unreimbursed costs for a federal event and wants assurance the Province has received and will transfer the funds. City staff also confirmed that infrastructure and safety preparations are underway for the summit, set for June 15th to 17th.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

Who is your favourite Calgary City Councillor - and why?

Is it because of their voting record, how they engage with the community, or something else?

Take a moment to reply and share your thoughts with us.

Your feedback helps us understand which Councillors are truly representing Calgarians’ interests and values.

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