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Calgary mayor unimpressed with provincial budget

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 | 8:55 PM ET

CBC News

The Alberta budget holds little good news for Calgarians, said a disappointed Mayor Dave Bronconnier Tuesday.

There is no new funding for the city's emergency services for the fourth straight year, the mayor pointed out Tuesday afternoon, while the province will be taking an increased amount from Calgary taxpayers in the form of education property taxes.

Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier wanted to see more funding for the city's emergency services in the provincial budget.
(CBC)

"If the provincial government has forecasted a $1.6 billion surplus this year, does it really need to raise Calgarians' property taxes by 6.5 per cent? Because this budget takes out almost $50 million more in property taxes than it did last year," Bronconnier said.

"To put that into context, if you just left the property tax alone, city council would have enough money in the property tax base to fund the 400 positions our chief of police is requesting."

The budget, unveiled by Finance Minister Iris Evans Monday, does include funding for the Calgary Police Service to hire 41 new officers this year.

"It's a great start. It's not the end-all, be-all," said Chief Rick Hanson. "We still need the support to get up to the numbers we talked about earlier."

Hanson has said the force will need at least 400 more officers by 2010. But he guaranteed the new positions will be filled by June, and that the officers will be patrolling the Calgary streets by December.

The Calgary Health Region is getting another $190 million, increasing its funding to nearly $2.4 billion, but the budget did not mention the region's $115-million deficit.

"We're going to need to spend a little bit of time reviewing the implications of it," said Jack Davis, the region's CEO. The CHR must come up with a three-year plan in July to outline how it will pay back its debt.

The budget did not include any new schools, programs or transportation projects that were not previously announced. Election promises made in February were officially budgeted, including $40 million for a new science centre in Calgary and $20 million to expand Canada Olympic Park and other Olympic training facilities.

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