Municipal Politics

[Gus Haynes]

Ground the gondola. Turf TAPYeg.

 

[Gronk!]

Is the province backtracking a little bit?

Alberta to make changes to bill proposing sweeping powers over municipalities | Globalnews.ca

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver says the government will introduce changes and implement rules surrounding how and when cabinet can overrule local governments.

globalnews.ca

 

[IanO]

They heard A LOT of feedback from AUMA and RuralMunis that pushed them to do this and avoid other issues.

 

[Gus Haynes]

Note that they're still not backing down (it seems) on forcing municipalities to hand count ballots at their own expense rather than use tabulators, as well as forcing political parties on Edmonton and Calgary. Gotta keep feeding that red meat to David Parker, I guess.

 

[TAS]

Is the province backtracking a little bit?

Alberta to make changes to bill proposing sweeping powers over municipalities | Globalnews.ca

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver says the government will introduce changes and implement rules surrounding how and when cabinet can overrule local governments.

globalnews.ca

The minister said municipalities will be consulted with on ammendments.

As a couple of the municipalities noted, the province should have done this before developing and releasing the Bill. Cities, obviously, are major stakeholders and to not have worked with them on this from the outset is another example of this government running roughshod.

 

[yeggator]

I want more business minded councillors AND true urbanists and city planners.

I’m very afraid of the swing to populist, anti bike lane conservative types under the guise of “Business minded”.

We need better leaders. We also don’t need to rip out bike lanes, cancel LRTs, widen roads, and bail on downtown for a suburban mindset (we have enough of that in this city).

I wish more right-wingers would realize that pro-urbanism is pro-business. It was decades of car-dependent sprawl with high capital and maintenance costs (that could never pay themselves off) and a resulting decline of inner-city business that we got into this financial hole in the first place. And now, it’s local businesses feeling the squeeze with higher property taxes to climb out of that hole.

 

[Yeggy]

^ I think it depends on what type of “pro business” you are. If your experience and business focus car dealerships and drive thru’s that will be very different from someone who is running an electric bicycle rental/sharing company.

This silly idea that everything can be generalized into a single entity or ideology really needs to stop, we need to focus on choice.

 

[Kosy123]

Feds covering $785K Edmonton police expenses from 2022 papal visit

Documents from Public Safety Canada show the agency is in the process of paying back Edmonton police for its security during the papal visit

edmontonjournal.com

It's times like these that
- I wish the provincial government would do something similar, and not be a complete hindrance
- someone pressures the Feds to shove more cash here please, you know you want to fund downtown residential development

 

[TAS]

Edmonton mayor announces homelessness, housing task force in annual state of the city address

Edmonton's mayor unveiled a new task force that will look for solutions to housing and homelessness during Friday's state of the city address.

edmontonjournal.com

 

[Edmcowboy11]

I love how everytime something needs to be done, it is felt that a task force has to be formed to study what solutions are out there.

 

[David A]

I love how everytime something needs to be done, it is felt that a task force has to be formed to study what solutions are out there.

Politicians like the illusion of doing something immediately, even if it is total bs. The reality is dealing with housing related issues is not cheap, fast or easy.

 

[kcantor]

^

It could be those things but it can only happen at the federal and/or provincial level. Other than facilitating, it can only bankrupt any municipality that attempts to solve this one on their own.

 

[kcantor]

Sooo…

I just worked up the nerve to open my 2024 Property Tax Notice.

It turns out the City of Edmonton wants 25.7% more from me in 2024 than I paid them in 2023.

25.7%!!!

I guess it’s time to fire up the printing press in the basement that the City of Edmonton seems to think I own.

 

[edm13]

Sooo…

I just worked up the nerve to open my 2024 Property Tax Notice.

It turns out the City of Edmonton wants 25.7% more from me in 2024 than I paid them in 2023.

25.7%!!!

I guess it’s time to fire up the printing press in the basement that the City of Edmonton seems to think I own.

Even more salt in the wounds when you drive the street and see grass that has yet to be cut this year, along with weeds that no longer get sprayed. More money for less service!

 

[trevorhayden]

Weeds sprayed? What century are you living in? No City sprays that poison on its residents anymore.