• City Council will meet on Wednesday at 9:30 am, and one of the items on the agenda is Administration's annual report on the grants, subsidies, rebates, and sponsorships the City gives to outside organizations. In 2025, the City provided $262.8 million to 1,351 recipients, up from $236.4 million in 2024 and $218.2 million in 2021. Of that, $137.0 million went to operating subsidies for 10 agencies, boards, and commissions, including the Edmonton Public Library, Explore Edmonton, and REACH Edmonton. Funding directed by Council outside the City's internal application and review process jumped from $7.4 million in 2024 to $20.1 million, including $10.6 million to Qualico for public spaces at the Station Lands site and $4.0 million to the Edmonton Ski Club for a new lodge. The totals leave out 130 below-market leases of City property to non-profits, which Administration estimates are worth about $40 million a year in rent subsidies, and Administration is recommending that the value of each individual lease stay private. The report also acknowledges that most funding arrangements still lack clearly identified outcome objectives, which limits the City's ability to judge whether the money is achieving its goals.
• Premier Danielle Smith announced that the Province will force Edmonton to repeal its zoning bylaw and return to the rules on housing types, density, and height that were in place before 2024. The City has three months to make the change and must also restore the minimum on-site parking requirements that were in place before 2020, followed by an 18-month review of its land-use bylaws. Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams said the directive will be formalized through a cabinet order in council and called the pace and scale of high-density infill in the city "too far, too fast." Since the bylaw took effect, the City has permitted 5,187 five- to eight-plexes in mature neighbourhoods, about 13% of all homes permitted. Mayor Andrew Knack argued the directive will make the city less affordable and drive up property taxes. He asked the Premier to pause it and said he will call an emergency Council meeting to assess what it means for the City. Knack estimated the directive will cost the City millions of dollars and pull staff time away from the finance team preparing budget documents for release on November 2nd.
• City Council voted 8-5 to raise the electricity franchise fee the City charges EPCOR from 17.65% to 19.4% of distribution charges, a cost that is passed on to customers' power bills. Ward 11 (Karhiio) Councillor Keren Tang moved the increase, which takes effect on January 1st, 2027, arguing that the fee is one of the City's limited ways to raise revenue and that 19.4% matches Calgary's rate. The Utility Committee had proposed the 20% maximum allowed by the Alberta Utilities Commission, which Administration estimated would raise a typical household's monthly franchise fee from $9.06 to $10.27 and bring in an extra $14.8 million in 2027. At that rate, Administration also estimated that post-secondary institutions could pay about $31,500 more per month on average and the largest businesses about $10,400 more. Councillors Erin Rutherford, Karen Principe, Thu Parmar, Michael Elliott, and Reed Clarke voted against the increase. Rutherford warned that it would add to the affordability challenges Edmontonians already face, while Elliott argued that a small monthly increase adds up over time.
• City Council received the process for its upcoming four-year budget deliberations, with draft budgets to be published on the City's website on November 2nd. Council is deciding on five budgets - capital, operating, the utility services operating and capital budgets, the Office of the City Auditor budget, and a climate budget presented for information only. Registration to speak at the November 23rd public hearing opens when the drafts are released and closes once the meeting begins. The hearing can then remain open for up to 10 days, until December 18th or until the budgets are approved, with proposed reductions voted on before increases. Mayor Andrew Knack said that because of affordability concerns, the next four-year budget has to be less than the current one, and that Council cannot have the same level of increases seen from 2023 to 2026. Administration is also trying to bring the financial stabilization reserve back to its required $150-million baseline.
• City Council voted 7-6 to keep the 25-cent fee businesses must charge for paper bags, defeating a motion to scrap the fee for fast-food bags. Ward 10 (Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi) Councillor Jon Morgan had proposed exempting restaurants at the Utility Committee on October 5th, arguing that the fee is unfair to customers, particularly at drive-throughs, and has done little to reduce waste. Ward 9 (pihêsiwin) Councillor Michael Elliott, who said he first raised the issue months ago, argued that the charge hurts seniors and others on fixed incomes who still eat out. Under the single-use item bylaw introduced in July 2023, businesses must charge at least 25 cents for a paper bag and $2 for a new reusable bag, and they keep the fees. Administration reports that single-use waste has dropped 30% since the bylaw took effect and that the number of disposable bags the average Edmontonian throws out at home has fallen 77%, though its data does not separate fast-food bags from grocery or retail bags. In a June 2026 survey of 196 restaurants, many said they were recovering costs or making a profit from the fees, while respondents also reported that customers were frustrated by them.

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ON THE AGENDA

Stephanie Swensrude

This week, council will discuss its autonomy, look at outcome reports from municipal funding, and consider several rezoning applications.

There is a public hearing on Oct. 13, a non-regular council meeting on Oct. 14, and a special city council meeting on Oct. 16.

Here are some key items on the agenda this week:

• Council will hold a special meeting on Oct. 16 to discuss the Oct. 8 directive from the provincial government ordering Edmonton to revert its zoning bylaw to parameters that were in place before 2024 and restore minimum parking requirements to where they were before 2020. Smith said at a news conference on Oct. 8 that the current bylaw has led to “irresponsible” infill development, pointing to multifamily complexes in neighbourhoods dominated by single-family homes. “Let me be clear — the goal should not simply be more housing, but more housing that is planned and integrated in a way that works for both existing residents as well as future families,” Smith said. The city has been given three months to amend its bylaw and 18 months to conduct a comprehensive review of its land-use bylaw. Mayor Andrew Knack urged the province to pause the directive, which he called “chaotic,” noting that it will result in higher taxes and reduced affordability. Knack told Ryan Jespersen the special council meeting is to see if council is in agreement about municipal autonomy: “I think we’ll need to have a clear discussion … do we want to make a public statement as a council on local autonomy?”
• Administration will report on the outcomes of $262.8 million provided to 1,351 recipients, including $137 million in operating subsidies to civic agencies, boards, and commissions, as well as $125.8 million supporting individuals and other external organizations. This is only the second year that the ABCs, individuals, and organizations have been required to report on outcomes, and many are still developing processes and performance measurements, the report said. Council-directed funding, which usually arises from a report to council, through advocacy by a non-profit, or as a solution to complex issues, nearly tripled from $7.4 million in 2024 to $20.1 million in 2025. This stream of funding does not go through the city’s internal program funding process to ensure consistency, accountability, equity, and transparency, administration said. More than $10 million of council-directed funding went to Qualico for its publicly accessible private spaces in its Station Lands development.
• A landowner has proposed rezoning a lot in Ritchie at 9905 80 Avenue NW from a direct control zone that allows for a 20-storey building to a standard zone that allows for a four-storey building. Administration said the proposed rezoning would facilitate new development in a primary corridor close to bus routes and bike networks.
• Administration said it does not support a rezoning application for a property that is partially in the boundary of the Westmount Architectural Heritage Area. The site at 11038 126 Street NW was consolidated from three separate lots, two of which were zoned for four-storey residential development with no architectural controls, and the third zoned for 2.5-storey residential development in line with the architectural controls of the Westmount area. Residents who oppose the rezoning said the heritage area is a historically significant area that should be preserved.
• BM Homes has proposed rezoning a property in McKernan at 11302 75 Avenue NW to allow for a three-storey residential building that is taller than what is currently allowed. Administration said it supports the application because the property is a corner lot near the McKernan-Belgravia LRT station and the 76 Avenue secondary corridor. Some residents oppose the rezoning because they believe infill properties are being used for lodging houses or short-term rentals, and that the development would increase pressure for on-street parking.
• Council will receive a private update from the city manager.