Edmonton residents now have the chance to influence the city’s next four-year budget by sharing their views on key investments and potential service adjustments. Mayor Andrew Knack, who pledged greater public involvement during his campaign, has launched an online survey open until May 1, along with in-person engagement sessions planned for next month.

Call for Active Participation

“My call to Edmontonians is to please get involved,” Mayor Knack stated on Wednesday. “These decisions we make about the budget will affect you in the next four years and beyond.”

Navigating Tough Financial Choices

The city faces significant fiscal pressures, requiring careful review of spending options. Chief Financial Officer Stacey Padbury explained that extensive efforts have already identified efficiencies, leaving limited scope for further cost reductions. Rising inflation and population growth continue to elevate the expenses of maintaining current services.

Mayor Knack emphasized the need to moderate property tax increases amid an ongoing affordability crisis, including high gas prices and cumulative cost pressures. He noted that taxes remained artificially suppressed during the pandemic, prompting substantial hikes in recent years by the previous council. “My goal is to not have either of those two extremes in this next four-year cycle — to have something more moderate,” Knack said.

Both the mayor and Padbury highlighted service levels as a critical area for evaluation. Knack seeks resident feedback on potential compromises, such as reducing grass mowing frequency by city crews to fund new firehalls without tax hikes. “We should actually embrace those tough conversations, because they are the conversations that council goes through every single day,” he added.

Business Push for Revenue Diversification

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce advocates for stronger business representation in the process. Vice-President of Economy and Engagement Heather Thomson stressed the need for investments in revenue-generating initiatives, such as downtown revitalization and expansions to the commercial tax base.

“In previous budget iterations, we haven’t seen as much investment as we’d like to see from a business perspective,” Thomson said. “That would … allow for the city to balance its budget and not put so much pressure on the residents to make up such a substantial amount of the tax base.”

During the election, the chamber proposed a fiscal task force of business leaders. Mayor Knack maintains that the current engagement process ensures input from all Edmontonians.