Election 2025: Campaign Roundup - Day 10

Welcome to Day 10 of our Edmonton 2025 Campaign Roundup!

With the 2025 municipal election underway, we'll be bringing you daily updates on all the policy proclamations, platform promises, and political point-scoring from the campaign trail.

As always, our work is entirely funded by donations from residents just like you, so if you appreciate the updates, please consider making a one-off donation or signing up as a supporter for just $10 a month - that's just 36 cents per email!

Campaign Roundup - Day 10:

• At a public forum last night, Mayoral candidates Michael Walters, Tim Cartmell, Andrew Knack, and Rahim Jaffer discussed transit, taxes, and public safety. Walters and Cartmell criticized rising property taxes and promised careful budget reviews, while Knack cautioned against austerity cuts that he said could harm City services. The candidates also highlighted housing, mental health, and support for the unhoused as priorities, with Knack noting the City’s role in building housing units. On arts and culture, Cartmell and Walters focused on revitalizing festivals and easing restrictions for performers, while Knack stressed funding balance for established and new events. Jaffer positioned himself as the only candidate advocating for tax cuts, aiming to boost economic development.
  
  
• The Edmonton Journal is doing a series asking Mayoral candidates why they should be Mayor. Candidate Paul Bakhmut argues that City Hall lacks transparency, leaving residents in the dark about rising taxes, slow construction, and service delays. He calls for clear budgets, public timelines, and accessible information so citizens can track projects and understand City decisions. Bakhmut says that transparency builds trust, allows residents to participate in problem-solving, and ensures mistakes are acknowledged and addressed rather than hidden.
  
  
• The race in Ward Anirniq is looking competitive, with seven candidates vying for the seat currently held by Erin Rutherford. Rutherford is seeking re-election after narrowly winning in 2021 and highlights her experience on Council, including work on public transit, problem properties, and infill accountability. Other candidates, including Ali Al Kassab, Nurmaiya Brady, Rob Fediuk, Ali Haymour, Agrippa Wajo, and Jesse Watson, focus on issues such as rising property taxes, infill, community safety, affordability, and increased resident consultation. Stay tuned for our surveys to see which approaches they favour!
  
  
• Edmonton’s City Plan, adopted five years ago to guide growth and development, is facing calls for a revamp as the city has grown faster than expected. Kalen Anderson, one of the plan’s original authors, says it should remain a guide rather than a rigid rulebook, and that council should correct mistakes and respond to public feedback, particularly regarding controversial zoning changes. She also emphasizes the need to shift focus from purely urban planning to economic growth, infrastructure, and financing strategies to match the City’s rapid expansion. Anderson sees the upcoming election as an opportunity for new leadership to embed fresh ideas and refocus the City Plan on delivering both livable neighbourhoods and economic returns.

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