ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, council will deliberate over changes to the fall budget adjustment at a council meeting scheduled for Dec. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

City administration has proposed a 6.4% property tax increase for 2026, in line with what the previous council approved in the spring. The current council questioned administration about the budget during a meeting on Nov. 25.

Administration has identified a $52.3-million gap in the operating budget. City staff have shifted money around internally to address $13.4 million of that gap, and said in a report that the remaining $38.8 million will “be addressed through specific action plans, which include fee increases, program reviews, and adjustments to service levels.”

Council will debate whether to fund several currently unfunded budget service packages, including $1.9 million to staff transit stations with safety attendants during periods of lower ridership, $95,000 to support expanding the derelict residential tax subclass beyond mature neighbourhoods, $2.7 million to make a temporary enhanced transit cleaning program permanent, $9.9 million to improve snow clearing and sidewalk repair, $555,000 to reinstate the infill liaison team, and $2.9-million to improve DATS service levels.

Meanwhile, three capital projects require more money than previously approved in the four-year budget cycle. The estimated cost for the 137 Avenue and Anthony Henday Ramps project has more than doubled, from $6.6 million to $14.3 million. Construction of the Athlone Fire Station is now expected to cost $28 million, or $10 million more than its original allocation. Costs to build the Walker Fire Station have increased, too, from $19.9 million to $32.8 million. About $3 million of the increase is attributed to construction, while an additional $10 million is needed because the project is now proposed to include an emergency communications dispatch centre.

Coun. Keren Tang, whose ward includes the future Walker Fire Station, said the stations are necessary, but that she’s worried infrastructure costs are ballooning with every budget. Tang said the increase that’s proposed has come as a surprise, too. “We approved $19.9 million, which is not a small number, and the ground hasn’t been broken yet, I haven’t seen any designs, I haven’t seen much engagement on this, and now we’re asking for an additional $12 million,” Tang said. “That’s a lot.”

Council will also debate purchasing 25 new buses, for $25.22 million, to transition three On Demand Transit zones to scheduled service. This change would result in a $420,000 operating budget increase in 2026, and about $7.4 million annually starting in 2027, the year the buses are expected to enter service.

The agenda includes a report that suggests the removal of most photo radar sites coincides with an increase in speeding, especially drivers travelling at 20 to 30 km/h over the posted limit. The previous council asked for this report, to outline ways the city could increase safety enforcement. That report notes the number of speeding vehicles has increased by nearly 11% in 2025 compared to 2024. The largest increase, it notes, is among vehicles travelling at 20 to 29 km/h over the speed limit, which grew by 87.3%.

The report also includes an update on the city’s progress on Vision Zero. That plan targets eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2032, and was adopted in 2015. In the first four years, traffic deaths and serious injuries decreased by 50% and 32%, respectively. In 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, fatalities and injuries continued to drop. But fatalities have climbed rapidly in recent years. Fourteen people died in traffic-related events in 2019, growing to 24 in 2023 and 26 in 2024. So far in 2025, 31 people have died in traffic-related events. Speed has been a contributing factor in about half of those fatalities, according to Edmonton Police Service data. Council is set to debate an enhanced traffic safety enforcement strategy during budget deliberations.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

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• City Council will meet several times this week to discuss the 2025-2028 budget, starting today at 9:30 am. Councillors are set to review the proposed 2026 budget, which includes a 6.4% property tax increase, matching the previous Council’s spring approval. Administration cites a fiscal gap caused by declining provincial grants, a shrinking share of non-residential taxes, debt limits, inflation, and population growth, making it challenging to maintain service levels.
• Despite the tax increase being debated, concerns remain that critical arterial roads may not be repaired due to insufficient funding. Councillor Keren Tang proposed adding $5 million - the lowest funding option - to extend the service life of the worst-condition roads, emphasizing that maintaining existing infrastructure is a core service and cheaper than letting deterioration worsen. Residents have expressed frustration with patchwork repairs, urging the city to address long-term road quality. Mayor Andrew Knack acknowledged the importance of roadwork but indicated that additional funding may have to wait until the next four-year budget cycle.
• Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams told the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce that municipalities must focus on core services and avoid spending on extras, stressing that the province is not a “shining knight” for City finances. Edmonton receives about $250 million from the provincial government, which fluctuates with revenues, so Williams urged Councils to deliver essential services like road maintenance, water systems, and garbage collection efficiently. He encouraged innovative solutions to help municipalities manage budgets without raising property taxes, emphasizing long-term infrastructure planning and asset use. Williams also stressed that addiction and social disorder are primarily provincial responsibilities, with the Alberta Recovery Model guiding compassionate intervention for those struggling with addiction. While municipalities should cooperate with provincial strategies, they must respect the mandated approach and avoid duplicating services. Overall, Williams called for fiscal responsibility at the municipal level while supporting coordinated provincial-municipal efforts on social challenges.
• Edmonton is moving ahead with 10 new affordable-housing developments after selling surplus school sites to builders for a symbolic one dollar each. The projects are funded through a $99-million federal Housing Acceleration Fund grant and will add more than 1,300 units across the city, including 925 below-market homes capped at 80% of average rents. Sites in neighbourhoods such as Belmont, Blue Quill, Dunluce, Miller, and Summerlea will host a range of purpose-built housing, from multi-generational units to second- and third-stage housing for women and families leaving violence. Several projects include partnerships with community groups, Indigenous organizations, and newcomer-serving agencies. City officials say the initiative will make a meaningful contribution to Edmonton’s affordable-housing shortage, while the province has opened a new $200-million funding round through its Affordable Housing Partnership Program. The remaining surplus school lands continue to be evaluated for future housing opportunities.
• The Province has selected a location on the University of Alberta’s south campus for a new standalone Stollery Children’s Hospital, marking the first major step toward expanding pediatric care in the capital region. The site, currently a green space near 122 Street and 51 Avenue, was chosen for its room to grow and its proximity to the university’s clinical and research hub. Detailed planning for space, services, and infrastructure will continue until 2026, with costs and timelines to be determined afterward. Construction of a full hospital is expected to take at least five to eight years once it begins. The Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation has launched a $1-billion fundraising campaign to support the project. Once complete, the facility is expected to free up space at the existing Stollery within the University of Alberta Hospital, helping meet growing acute care demands in a city that has added more than 300,000 residents since the original Stollery opened in 2001.