An Opportunity To Cut Spending

The City of Edmonton is at it again. 

1. Spend money.
2. Realize way too much money has been spent.
3. Desperately look for savings. 
4. Spend more money.

In case you missed it, the City was tasked with looking for $60 million in savings back in January, after breaking the bank on a bloated budget. 

You’d think that needing to find those savings would lead to some sober second thought before splashing out more cash right?

Not quite.

This morning, Council will debate the Spring Budget Adjustment.

It’s the perfect time for Council to really evaluate its priorities, take stock of spending, and make some common sense adjustments. 

But it doesn't look like that’s going to happen.

Instead of stopping the spending cycle and evaluating where even more savings can be found, Council has decided to - you guessed it - spend more money!

The City is proposing another $27.5 million in spending.

Highlights of the new spending include an additional $2 million for the Scona Pool demolition project, $375,000 for garbage cans, benches, upgraded CCTV cameras, and procuring/installing Indigenous art at the Telus Transit Station, and $8.7 million for the Imagine Jasper Avenue project.

Seriously - why can't Council get their spending under control?

Everyone else in Edmonton has had to.

Over the winter, we proposed an idea to help the City save $100 million.

Cut the bike lanes from the budget!

Shockingly, they didn’t take us up on the proposal, but we still think it’s a good idea.

In fact, so did almost 5,000 Edmontonians who signed our petition calling on Council to Stop the Bike Lane Boondoggle. 

The Spring Budget Adjustment would be the perfect time to save some money.

So we've doubled our signature goal from 5,000 to 10,000.

Take a read of our petition by clicking here and, if you agree, help send a strong message to Council by adding your name.

Regards,

- Will and the Common Sense Edmonton Team