Calgary Minute: Issue 386

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

📅 This Week In Calgary: 📅

• The Infrastructure and Planning Committee meets on Wednesday at 9:30 am, and one of the briefings on the agenda looks at extending the City's Business-Friendly Construction Policy to utility work on City-initiated projects. Council approved the policy on March 31st, but it applies only to City-led construction, not to work by private developers or third-party utility companies. After engaging ATCO, ENMAX, Rogers, and TELUS, Administration reports that the companies support the policy's principles, but that construction notices and advance notification vary between companies, and early sharing of plans and schedules is not a consistent practice. Administration is advancing two changes - more consistent information for businesses about what to expect during construction, and better coordination of design and construction to reduce the cumulative impact of multiple projects. Starting in the last quarter of 2026, it will test the approach on one or more active City projects, with the utility companies participating.
  
  
• The Executive Committee has voted 8-2 to support water utility rate increases that would add nearly $90 to the average household's monthly bill by 2030. Administration is recommending average yearly increases of 20% for drinking water, 15% for wastewater, and 6% for stormwater. For a household using 19 cubic meters a month, the average bill would rise from $119 to $134 in 2027, then to $154 in 2028, $179 in 2029, and $207 in 2030. City officials argue the increases are needed to fund a $6.5-billion list of water infrastructure projects, including new feeder mains and treatment plant upgrades, along with almost $60 million a year in added operating costs. Chief Financial Officer Les Tochor said past rates did not keep pace with inflation and growth, and average residential water bills today are only $3 higher than in 2018. Ward 14 Councillor Landon Johnston argued the City should make cuts elsewhere before charging residents more, and Ward 11 Councillor Rob Ward and Ward 2 Councillor Jennifer Wyness voted against the increases. The rates still need Council's approval during the November budget deliberations.
  
  
• Mayor Jeromy Farkas says Premier Danielle Smith has personally committed to him that the Province will not raise its share of Calgary's property taxes as steeply next year as it has in recent years. The provincial education portion, which takes roughly 42% of the residential property taxes the City collects, rose 21% this year after a 15.6% increase the year before. Farkas said he expects next year's provincial increase to track inflation more closely, and he wants the combined increase to come in below this year's average of about 8.1%. A spokesperson for Finance Minister Jason Nixon said no budget decisions have been finalized. Preliminary City documents for the four-year budget, which Council is set to finalize next month, show a possible 15% municipal increase to help close the infrastructure gap, though Farkas calls that figure a preliminary "unconstrained wish list". Ward 10 Councillor Andre Chabot argued that the Province, which is running a surplus, should share its prosperity, noting that residents blame City Hall for provincial increases.
  
  
• Ward 13 Councillor Dan McLean wants the City to pause new on-street bike lanes and cycle tracks that would remove vehicle lanes or significantly reduce parking until the Province introduces its bike lane legislation and Council can assess what it means for Calgary. His motion passed the Executive Committee on October 5th and goes to City Council on October 27th. Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen has said the legislation would give the Province the power to approve or reject new municipal bike lanes and remove existing ones, though the Province has not confirmed when it will be introduced. McLean argued the City should not spend money on infrastructure it may later be forced to change, saying Calgary is in an affordability crisis and has to "watch every dollar". The pause would not apply to sidewalks, accessibility projects, multi-use paths, or other off-street cycling infrastructure. The motion also asks Administration to identify the affected cycling projects, their costs, and possible funding changes, with a report due in early 2027. Mayor Jeromy Farkas said transportation projects should be reviewed for cost and effectiveness, but that decisions about local infrastructure belong with Council.
  
  
• The Province is directing Calgary to keep its repeal of blanket rezoning in place and to create an overlay identifying the properties returned to their previous low-density zones, preserving the rules on housing types, building heights, and parking. Premier Danielle Smith and Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams announced the directive alongside an order giving Edmonton three months to roll back its own 2024 infill rules, citing the Province's authority under the Municipal Government Act. Council voted on April 8th to repeal blanket rezoning, and previous zoning designations were restored on August 4th. Both cities must review their land use bylaws under new provincewide expectations that infill be appropriately scaled and supported by adequate utilities and water infrastructure, work Calgary expects to finish in 2027. Mayor Jeromy Farkas called the announcement disappointing and argued it is more about asserting power over municipal decisions than about zoning, saying Smith wants to be "Premier of Alberta, Mayor of Calgary, Mayor of Edmonton, all at once". Ward 2 Councillor Jennifer Wyness warned the directive leaves the City in a difficult position to qualify for a final Housing Accelerator Fund payment of around $65 million, which the federal housing agency has tied to most lots being zoned for up to four units.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

We’ve got a great Pints & Politics event coming up on October 28th with Mayor Jeromy Farkas.

There are only a few spaces left, so if you want to join us, be sure to RSVP today:

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