Edmonton Minute: Carbon Budget, Casino Closure, and Budget Deliberations Begin

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• There will be a City Council meeting this morning at 9:30 am. Council is set to begin deliberations for the 2023-2026 Operating and Capital Budgets. If the proposed four-year budget is passed, annual property tax rate increases of 3.9% are required each year from 2023-2026 - every household will pay approximately $718 dollars in municipal property taxes for every $100,000 of their 2023 assessed home value. A total of $92.8 million is earmarked for new or enhanced services like a Safe Mobility Program and the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy. Should Council not wrap up their meeting today, a continuation is scheduled for Tuesday at 9:30 am. We’ll be watching the multi-week deliberations closely - keep an eye on your inbox for more information.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 8:30 am, there will be an Agenda Review Committee meeting. Later in the day, at 1:30 pm, there will be a Special City Council meeting held almost entirely in camera. The agenda lists a “Council Discussion Continuation.”
  
  
• Snow Valley Ski Club will open on Tuesday, thanks to the recent snowy weather. The warm fall had some in the ski industry concerned, but last week’s dump of snow provided the boost needed to pull the trigger on opening.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• We were in the news discussing the ridiculousness of the City's new carbon budget. The carbon budget measures how much the city can spend - except instead of measuring money like a financial budget, it measures greenhouse gas emissions. Edmonton is one of the first municipalities in Canada to waste its time on this, producing a nearly 100-page document showing that Edmonton will use all of its allotted emissions by 2037, meaning it won’t reach the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. As we make clear in the news article, this initiative is a massive waste of time, resources, and taxpayer money.
  
  
• It was revealed that the Province and Edmonton-area charities lost millions of dollars in revenue between 2019 and 2022 because of closures at the Grand Villa Casino. After being forced to close due to COVID-19 restrictions, Grand Villa reduced its operations beyond the restriction period. According to an Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission hearing decision, the extra closures added six weeks to fundraising event wait times and cost AGLC between $3.8 million and $4.5 million. In response, AGLC demanded that the casino stay open seven days a week, but were unsuccessful in forcing them to do so. How about we just leave businesses alone and let them decide things for themselves?
  
  
• Boyle Street Community Services wants to move from its current location to a larger facility at 101 Street and 107 A Avenue, but residents and organizations have voiced their concerns and complaints. The Subdivision and Development Appeal Board heard arguments that the development amounts to a large drop-in centre that does not comply with current zoning bylaws or the Area Redevelopment Plan. The Board will make a decision 15 days after hearing all of the presentations.

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