Posts by growthzone

As we pointed out in our last City Budget Bulletin, the City of Edmonton cannot expect to constrain operational spending growth unless it addresses employee costs, which account for 57% of the operating budget. Last week we focused on holding the line on wages in this round of public sector negotiations. The other strategy the…

This is the fourth in a series of City Budget Bulletins through which we will be raising awareness and proposing solutions—please share them and let the Mayor and Council know how important it is to hold the line on property tax increases in the upcoming municipal budget. The City of Edmonton cannot expect to constrain operational…

Many industries in Canada are not reaching their full potential because of transportation and infrastructure challenges: poor roads, congested trade routes and ports, and high transportation and energy costs. A dedicated, multi-modal transportation utility corridor (TUC) across mid-northern Canada and reaching all three Canadian coasts would allow and encourage investment in trade-supporting infrastructure. What are…

Nobody is better equipped to streamline operations than the employees and their managers at the City of Edmonton—they just need a robust process and the will to see it through. City reports show a Priority-Based Budgeting approach (PBB) was initiated from 2012 to 2015, but PBB isn’t mentioned anywhere beyond 2015. Perhaps the fact that Edmonton…

In January 2018, a Waste Services Audit found that while costs have risen, the City’s waste management program has fallen far behind its targets. In 2007, the City set a 90% diversion rate target by 2012, meaning only 10% of waste is sent to landfills with the other 90% diverted from landfills (i.e. recycled, composted,…

Property tax increases, on top of increased taxes, fees, and other costs from all orders of government, are pushing many Edmonton businesses to the breaking point. The City of Edmonton is currently developing its 2019-22 operating budget, which will be released in November 2018. The Edmonton Chamber has struck a Municipal Budget Task Force to…

The Government of Alberta’s Budget 2018 was released in March and projected a deficit of $8.8 billion with continuing deficits for the next five years. By 2023, Alberta will have accumulated $96 billion in debt. What does this mean for my business? Budget 2018 included funding for initiatives that will drive investment, including: Expanding the Petrochemicals Diversification…