Calgary Minute: Office Conversions, Sheriff Expansion, and More Tax Increases

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

This Week In Calgary:

• This morning, at 9:30 am, there will be a meeting of City Council with an Indigenous Focus. The agenda includes the 2023-2024 White Goose Flying Annual Progress Report, a Permanent Indian Residential School Memorial Project Update, and an Indigenous Gathering Place Update.
  
  
• Calgary is revitalizing its office-to-residential conversion program with a new allocation of $52.5 million, following the exhaustion of its initial $153-million budget last year. This initiative aims to encourage developers to transform office buildings into multi-unit residential properties, particularly as downtown office vacancies remain high. The renewed Downtown Development Incentive Program offers $75 per square foot to developers, with a maximum support of $15 million per project upon completion. However, rising construction costs, especially for materials like concrete and steel, could complicate these conversions. Only one project from the previous iteration has been completed.
  
  
• Calgary’s water restrictions, in place on and off since June, have been lifted after the successful repair of the Bearspaw South Feeder Main. Mayor Jyoti Gondek thanked Calgarians for their cooperation in reducing water use and those involved in the repairs, which were completed ahead of schedule. City officials are urging residents to gradually return to normal water use to avoid overloading the system. 

Last Week In Calgary:

• Council voted to wind down the Green Line LRT project. The decision follows the provincial government’s withdrawal of its $1.53 billion funding commitment. A report detailing the financial impact will be presented during the City’s budget deliberations in November. Mayor Jyoti Gondek is advocating for the Province to retain existing private-sector contracts, but Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen indicated a willingness to collaborate while clarifying that the Province does not intend to take over the project. As discussions continue, the timeline for a revised plan remains tight, with federal funding contingent on meeting certain criteria. Here at Common Sense Calgary, we’ve been saying the Green Line didn’t make financial sense for almost a decade. Imagine how much taxpayer money could have been saved if Council had listened!
  
  
• Speaking of which, City officials have proposed a larger property tax increase than the previously announced 3.6%. The City tried to claim that the new increase would be 4.5%, but this number relies on some sneaky accounting. The average property tax bill will actually rise by 6.4%, plus higher fees for water, waste, and recycling services. The City’s Chief Financial Officer noted that despite efforts to find efficiencies, it’s challenging to manage significant inflation and population influx without raising costs or reducing services. Here’s our advice - stop unnecessary spending! If you agree, please sign our petition demanding City Hall accept that Calgary Must Get Back To Basics. The full budget will be presented to Council on November 5th.
  
  
• The Alberta government has expanded the role of sheriffs in Calgary by launching the Fugitive Apprehension Sheriffs Support Team (FASST), a seven-member plainclothes unit aimed at tracking down fugitives, particularly those involved in serious crimes. This initiative follows a successful implementation in Edmonton, where FASST executed over 1,300 warrants and made 303 arrests within seven months. Supported by $2.6 million in provincial funding, the team aims to enhance public safety by apprehending offenders who have evaded justice. Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld welcomed this addition, emphasizing the need for cooperation between law enforcement agencies.

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