Edmonton Minute: Tax Increases, Fare Increases, and a New Elks Owner

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

This Week In Edmonton:

• This morning, at 9:30 am, there will be a City Council Public Hearing to review several minor zoning amendments. In addition to specific property zoning changes, the hearing will address a proposed general amendment concerning ground floor entrances in multi-unit residential buildings. A proposed new bylaw would mandate that ground floor units facing the street in buildings with a wall length greater than 12.8 meters have individual entrances. However, units not facing the street or those on streets without sidewalks would be exempt from this requirement.
  
  
• On Tuesday, at 8:30 am, the Agenda Review Committee will meet, followed by a meeting of City Council at 9:30 am. On Council’s agenda is a draft policy on financial losses due to construction which proposes property tax relief for business owners affected by major projects. However, due to potential financial implications, Administration does not recommend adopting this policy. Council will also discuss approving an $8,000,000 grant to Civida for affordable housing on the Keheewin surplus school site, as well as a bylaw that formalizes Council’s decision to modify the existing public hearing procedures from having all panels of speakers in favour of an item present before all panels of speakers in opposition, to an alternating pattern between speakers in favour and opposed. If the meeting does not end on time, it will continue on Wednesday at 9:30 am.
  
  
• A new Edmonton municipal political party, PACE (Principled Accountable Coalition For Edmonton) is hosting its inaugural events. On Wednesday, they will be hosting a public meeting at 7:30 pm at the Californian Manor, and on Thursday, they'll do it again at the Transit Hotel. The party launched in response to the Province's passing of Bill 20. Their goal is a more fiscally prudent, business-friendly, and growth-oriented City Hall. Speaking of events, we're hosting one next week. On Tuesday, August 27th, from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm, we’ll be at Capilano Park’s Picnic Site 1 for a BYOHB (Bring Your Own Hot-Dogs and Burgers) BBQ. You can RSVP here.

Last Week In Edmonton:

• City Council has already discussed the potential for a steep property tax increase in 2025, with estimates ranging between 9% and 13%. This follows a nearly 9% increase in 2024. Rising costs due to inflation and shortfalls in revenue, such as transit fares, are putting pressure on the City’s budget. In our opinion, spending too much on unnecessary items is also a major contributor! Mayor Amarjeet Sohi emphasized the need to explore every option to reduce this burden, while acknowledging that tough decisions will be required to maintain core services. Despite efforts to lower the increase, it may still approach 9%.
  
  
• Larry Thompson, former owner of Thompson Brothers Construction, has been officially introduced as the new owner of the Edmonton Elks. The team, which had been community-owned since 1949, is now privately owned, with Thompson's acquisition marking a new era for the club. The Elks, with a current 2-7 record, have faced significant challenges since 2019, including a $3.3 million deficit in 2022. Last season, the team endured a 0-9 start before securing their first win, and this year, they struggled to an 0-7 start before finally breaking through. Since 2020, the Elks have posted multimillion-dollar losses and have not made the playoffs since 2019. Additionally, they set a North American professional sports record for the longest home losing streak, which spanned the entire 2021 and 2022 seasons. Hopefully, the new owner can turn the team’s fortunes around! The next home game is on September 7th.
  
  
• Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) has proposed significant fare increases for 2025, with seniors and other riders facing steep hikes. If approved, cash fares would rise by 21% to $4.25, putting Edmonton in a tie with Mississauga for the second-highest transit fare in Canada. Monthly costs for seniors would more than double, and overall fare increases could generate an additional $8 million annually. These changes are driven by rising operational costs and a projected $13 million deficit, as ETS faces financial challenges despite recovering ridership. The proposed fare hikes will be discussed by the Executive Committee later this month.

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