Quote:
Originally Posted by Bunk
No essential services have been cut - overall many services have grown including transit and snow removal for instance. Police, fire, arts, recreation and all sorts of other services have all been maintained.
The City is however facing a budget shortfall - and so the mayor and Council have asked for about $140 million in efficiences. Like always, levels of service will have to be balanced against tax rates. Municipalities have only two financial tools to raise revenues - property taxes (of which the City only gets 50%) and user fees. So if for instance overall wages rise 2.5% to pay for that increase with property taxes, that means a 5% increase in taxes.
But the Mayor has promised to have a much more open and honest discussion about the budget and citizens' priorities. Budget consultation has been going on much of this year.
http://ourcity-ourbudget-ourfuture.blogspot.com/ |
But don't kid yourself, Nenshi said himself in an interview today or yesterday that services will be cut. There will be affects to citizens of Calgary...just a matter of when and what.