Edmonton Mayoral Debate Insights

Last week, five candidates hoping to become Edmonton’s next Mayor - Andrew Knack, Rahim Jaffer, Michael Walters, Omar Mohammad, and Tim Cartmell - took to the stage for a debate that covered everything from taxes and spending to public safety, housing, and the state of our downtown.

The debate revealed a clear consensus on one point: Edmontonians think the City is not on the right track.

Rising costs, construction chaos, crime, and homelessness dominated the discussion, with each candidate offering a different vision for how to fix the City’s problems.

Taxes, Debt, and the City’s Finances

Several candidates zeroed in on the City’s finances, pointing out that property taxes have increased by nearly 40% in the past decade - including just over 17% during the most recent four-year term.

Omar Mohammad warned that Edmonton’s debt is projected to hit a record $5 billion by 2026, with more than $500 million a year going toward debt servicing, making it the City’s third-largest expense.

When it came to solutions, Mohammad called for a tax freeze, a zero-based budget review, and accountability measures to prevent politicians from hiking taxes without consequences.

Rahim Jaffer went even further, pledging to roll back taxes to 2021 levels and demanding provincial audits of City Hall that he says could uncover $400 million in savings.

Tim Cartmell focused on growing the tax base by offering tax breaks to businesses that reinvest in Edmonton, while Michael Walters argued for major budget reforms to cut “spending on certain things.”

Andrew Knack pointed to his record of reducing the budget through motions he has brought forward and promised to restructure the way the City sets priorities.

Core Services and Spending Priorities

All five candidates criticized what they saw as misplaced spending priorities.

Residents, they argued, are paying more but getting less.

Walters highlighted basic service failures, from snow plows not reaching new communities to unkempt boulevards and soccer fields.

Jaffer warned that City Hall has strayed outside its jurisdiction, spending on “pet projects” instead of focusing on the basics.

The gondola, a proposed bullet train to the airport, half-billion-dollar recreation centres, and $80 million in electric buses were all flagged as examples of projects that should never have gone ahead.

Bike lanes also came under fire, with Jaffer questioning why $100 million was spent on them while core services suffered, and Mohammad noting that just 1% of Edmontonians bike regularly despite $13 million annually going to maintenance and another $36 million planned for new lanes.

Public Safety and Homelessness

Public safety was one of the most pressing topics of the night.

Concerns about downtown crime, safety on transit, and the struggles faced by Chinatown were front and centre.

Jaffer and Walters stressed the need for more police presence, while Cartmell called for a return to community policing with officers visibly present in neighbourhoods.

Homelessness was also described as a “life or death” issue.

With an estimated 5,000 unhoused Edmontonians, candidates debated how to respond.

Mohammad and Walters advocated for a housing-first strategy backed by wraparound supports like mental health and addiction treatment.

Walters also called for more day shelters and at least 1,500 new supportive housing units.

Jaffer and Walters both emphasized the need for better cooperation with the Province, which controls healthcare and addictions, while Knack argued the City can’t afford to keep waiting on the Province and must act on its own.

Infrastructure and Construction Chaos

Construction delays, planning failures, and cost overruns were another major concern.

Mohammad pointed to streets like Jasper Avenue and 104th Avenue being torn up at the same time, choking traffic and hurting small businesses.

He proposed a smart staging plan and better support for businesses caught in construction zones.

Knack touted the success of an accelerated construction pilot on the Valley Line West LRT, which cut timelines dramatically by closing intersections for two months instead of dragging work out for years.

Cartmell said the City needs private-sector expertise on its infrastructure committee to inject new solutions and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

Economic Competitiveness and Downtown Revitalization

The candidates agreed that Edmonton needs to attract more investment, but said high costs and red tape are pushing businesses away.

Commercial property taxes are nearly 50% higher than residential rates, and slow permitting processes were described as “killing jobs.”

On downtown revitalization, most agreed the city must focus on safety and housing first, rather than entertainment-focused projects.

Mohammad called for tax incentives for affordable housing and easier repurposing of empty buildings, while Knack suggested adopting new technology for permit approvals and hiring “business concierge managers” to guide investors through the process.

Jaffer said restoring free parking downtown after 5:00 pm and on weekends could help bring people back.

Housing and Infill Development

Finally, the debate touched on infill and density.

Knack argued that sprawl is financially unsustainable and that Edmonton must keep increasing density to stay affordable.

Mohammad suggested limiting infill projects to six units while requiring parking, while Jaffer demanded one parking stall per dwelling in mature neighbourhoods to protect residents from spillover.

Cartmell preferred focusing new development on larger areas like Blatchford instead of forcing density into existing neighbourhoods.

The debate made it clear that while all candidates agree Edmonton needs change, they differ widely on how to deliver it.

Some want to cut taxes immediately, some want to freeze them, and others want to restructure how the City budgets.

On homelessness and public safety, the split was between those who want stronger ties with the Province and those who think the City needs to take more responsibility itself.

Now that the nomination window has closed, we will be sending our survey to candidates to get them to expand on their ideas!

And, we'll be publishing that information for you to read and decide for yourself who is best positioned to turn Edmonton around.

If you'd like to contribute to that effort, please make a contribution below: