Edmonton Minute: Bird Vote, Chinatown Safety, and Edmonton Wants Money

Edmonton Minute: Bird Vote, Chinatown Safety, and Edmonton Wants Money

 

Edmonton Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Edmonton politics

 

This Week In Edmonton:

  • This week, there is only one meeting scheduled on account of the Thanksgiving holiday - a meeting of the Agenda Review Committee, which will take place tomorrow at 8:30 am. Speaking of Thanksgiving, we hope you are having a wonderful long weekend with family and friends. At Common Sense Edmonton, we’re grateful for each and every one of you who read our newsletters, sign our petitions, and donate to our work.

  • Edmonton’s Healthy Streets Operations Centre in Chinatown is set to close at the end of this year after a two-year pilot program funded by the City. Despite the City's decision not to extend the pilot, community leaders are hoping that collaborative efforts between the City, police, and social agencies will continue to ensure local safety. The HSOC was established with a $15.2 million budget to address crime and disorder in Chinatown and nearby areas. While some successes were noted, such as a decrease in ambulance calls and reduced violent crime severity, other non-violent crimes increased, leading to a mixed evaluation of the program.

  • Edmontonians are being asked to vote for a local bird that best symbolizes the city as part of a campaign to promote urban biodiversity. Six bird species have been nominated, including the black-billed magpie. You can cast your ballot online. Voting for the first round will continue until December 31st, with the top three birds advancing to a second round that ends on March 31st, 2025. Does anyone know of a dysfunctional bird that costs more and more every year?

 


 

Last Week In Edmonton:

  • The Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) has appealed to the federal government for dedicated funding to address issues impacting downtown areas across Canada, such as homelessness, addiction, and mental health crises. During meetings in Ottawa, the EDBA urged MPs to prioritize mental health and public safety in their initiatives. Despite the shared struggles among cities, the EDBA highlighted the unique lack of density faced by Edmonton, and advocated for measures that would enhance safety perceptions and encourage more people to visit the downtown area.

  • Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he is prioritizing efforts to limit property tax increases as the City grapples with an $88 million funding shortfall. During a recent City Council meeting, a report highlighted the fiscal gap, warning that failure to address it could lead to diminished services and increased taxes. Sohi said he aims to maintain investments in core services while exploring alternative revenue sources, such as higher developer levies and increased provincial funding, instead of raising user fees. The report attributed the funding challenges to factors like population growth, high inflation, and post-pandemic social service spending.

  • Edmonton has asked for increased provincial funding for road maintenance, saying that a significant portion of road users are from surrounding communities. The City estimates it requires approximately $300 million annually to adequately maintain its roads, with over one-third of drivers in the City coming from outside its borders. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi emphasized that service hub cities like Edmonton should receive special consideration for provincial infrastructure funding to avoid imposing costs on regional residents. He ruled out the option of toll roads as a solution. While the Province has budgeted $2.2 billion over the next three years for road and bridge projects, Sohi is advocating for additional support to meet what he believes are the unique needs of Edmonton.

 

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  • Common Sense Edmonton
    published this page in News 2024-10-13 19:02:34 -0600