Edmonton Minute: Merry Christmas, Mayoral Interview, and Police Commissioner Resigns

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• It’s Christmas on Wednesday. Thank you to every single one of our readers and supporters who reached out, donated, volunteered, or shared our content this year. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you have a wonderful holiday season filled with friends and family. Merry Christmas!
  
  
• We don’t often use these weekly emails to explicitly ask for support, but we’re in the middle of our year-end fundraiser, and we’ve set a goal to raise $20,000 by December 31st. This is a critical time for non-profits, and reaching our goal will ensure we can continue the important work we do. If you value what we bring to the table and want to see us keep going, please consider making a donation today. Every bit helps, and we’re deeply grateful for your support. You can contribute by clicking here. Thank you!
  
  
• There are no Council or Committee meetings this week. Regularly scheduled meetings will resume the week of January 13th.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• John McDougall resigned from the Edmonton Police Commission after it was revealed he planned to govern remotely from Portugal for up to two years. His resignation followed public backlash and comments from Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis, who had expected McDougall to step down in 2025 after his permanent move. While McDougall initially intended to remain on the Commission, he acknowledged his relocation would distract from its important work. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi suggested revisiting residency requirements for Police Commissioners, a policy that had been relaxed in 2021.
  
  
• A recent report to Edmonton City Council highlighted the disproportionate number of recently released former inmates who stay in the city, mainly due to the high concentration of correctional facilities. Edmonton has one of the highest rates of correctional institutions per capita in Canada. This situation places a significant burden on local taxpayers, as many are released without adequate support, leading to high rates of re-offending. Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee and Councillor Michael Janz are calling for better funding and systemic changes to address the issue, with a focus on improving rehabilitation and support for those released. Both emphasize the need for a more comprehensive approach to reintegrating individuals into society, rather than simply releasing them without a clear plan.
  
  
• In a year-end interview with CTV News, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi discussed the 6.1% property tax increase for 2025, emphasizing the need for provincial support to reduce the tax burden further. He still maintains that the Province needs to address an $80-million shortfall in property tax payments owed to Edmonton, which he believes could potentially allow for a “reduction” to 5.3%. Regarding public safety, Sohi expressed optimism about the upcoming hiring of a new police chief and emphasized the importance of leadership to improve crime rates in Edmonton. Sohi has yet to decide whether he will seek re-election, citing a busy 2024 and his focus on economic growth and public service improvements.

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