What did Calgary councillors say about the 2024 budget?

Calgary city council spent three days deliberating the city's 2024 budget adjustments this week, before voting 9-6 in favour of the new budget.

Here's what some councillors said during their closing arguments:

MAYOR JYOTI GONDEK (VOTED FOR THE BUDGET)

“We spent years making cuts and then using Band-aids like one-time temporary funding to fix some really serious and complex issues. The race to be the order of government that slashed your budget the most has been a losing prospect for all the people we serve. The visceral response we're having toward people in crisis is played out in this budget.

“I would consider this decision by council as one that sends a very clear signal ...(that) we won't turn our backs on people.”

WARD 1 COUN. SONYA SHARP (VOTED AGAINST THE BUDGET)

“There's a lot in this budget that doesn't make any sense — to me, to taxpayers. Only a year ago, we went from putting a four-year budget cycle with a 3.4 per cent tax increase to almost eight per cent in a budget-adjustment year. That doesn't make any sense. We have a $100-million surplus — honestly the biggest surplus I can ever remember the city having.

“We'll always have a list of things we really want to do. But we don't make these decisions in a vacuum. It would be one thing if this was only one additional cost that Calgarians will be facing, but it isn't.”

Ward 3 Coun. Jasmine Mian (voted for the budget)

“The story behind the numbers and why I couldn't ultimately vote against this budget is because I didn't want to vote against permanently funding an addictions and mental health strategy. I didn't want to vote against holding the line on transit fare increases, road repaving after years of deferrals, fixing our buildings in poor and critical conditions, (hiring) 65 peace officers to address disorder on transit, affordable housing after people came and poured their hearts out to us about what it has meant when governments have divested from affordable housing, permanent front-line firefighter positions or better frequency on buses so people aren't standing out in the cold.”

Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal (voted for the budget)

“(These are) bold investments that are actually outcomes of what we've heard from Calgarians. We don't want a city that has broken infrastructure, crumbing infrastructure.

“This budget, when I looked at it, it checked all these points. Support for affordable housing? Definitely there. A commitment to making public transit and public safety better? Definitely. Enabling support for our transit service that moves thousands of Calgarians around? Definitely, we have that in there.”

Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott (voted for the budget)

“We're trying so hard to tell the story in a way that we can go back to the community ... to sell it to our community. I want people to tell the story that we've made an amazing, historic investment in affordable housing, that we set the stage for years to come to provide housing to our citizens and support non-profits in the provision of housing for our citizens. That we supported families with safer access to their schools through 5A, but also through the investments in bylaw and peace officers. I want people to tell the story that we kept it so children can ride transit for free. I want us to tell communities that we invested in them.”

Ward 9 Coun. Gian-carlo Carra (voted for the budget)

“I ran in 2021 saying we had to raise taxes because our city is growing in an increasingly crazy world. This is a destination of choice, of safety, of prosperity and opportunity for everybody. I appreciate Coun. Penner's debate, but honestly this isn't enough investment for me. I spend $12.30 (per day) for my household to reap an incredible suite of services. We are making investments in this budget, but we're not making enough to keep up with the pace of change, to pivot and diversify our economy.”

Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot (voted against the budget)

“During the process of (budget amendments) debate, when we were proposing some amendments, what we were told is that we had basically taken our reserves to their limit — that there was no additional room for one-time funding of certain projects without finding a new source.

“We had a $100-million positive variance last year ... and yet, we're spending $490 million, we've drawn our reserves down to their limit. It's hard for me to support something when I know that, on an ongoing basis, the only way we'll be able to fund additional things is by additional increases.”

Ward 6 Coun. Richard Pootmans (voted for the budget)

“Onwards — that's what this is all about. Today, we have to demonstrate, not only to ourselves but the world, that we should have confidence in this city. Damn it, if we don't show confidence, who else will?

“I think it's important we recognize that growing the economy is the only best way we know of to assure affordability issues are addressed. We can't cower under a rock and hope they'll go away.”

Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner (voted for the budget)

“This is without a doubt a challenging budget to present to Calgarians if we're only focused on one number. I will list through these additional investments over 20 great things we're going to be delivering to Calgarians.

“This budget really addresses what we've heard from citizens time and time again, whether it be public safety, safety around schools, improving the 5A network, repaving, expanding our transit, funding the fire department, playground improvements.”

Ward 12 Coun. Evan Spencer (voted for the budget)

“I'm not excited about the timing of this increase. It's crap. It feels rotten. I'm keenly aware the willingness to take on more costs right now is low. So why (would I) vote for this? Well, the four-year budget, the envelope we approved and that came to us, did not contemplate or give us the room to fully enter into addressing the realities we're facing as a city.

“Predominantly, what this budget is going to address are long-term solutions for the challenges we're facing. The spending is precision-pointed to the places it needs to go.”

Ward 13 Coun. Dan Mclean (voted against the budget)

“At a time when Calgarians in record numbers are tightening their belts, at a time when record numbers of Calgarians are lining up at food banks, at a time when record numbers of homeowners crushed by inflation, rising interest rates, rising taxes and are in jeopardy of losing their homes and their businesses, at this time, we're looking at passing a $500 million spending increase and record taxes onto these people. There's just no way I could support this budget.”

Ward 14 Coun. Pete Demong (voted for the budget)

“This is, to my recollection, the largest increase I've seen in my 13 years (on council). I don't like this budget. Unfortunately, it's the budget we have. When I look at the last four years of increases this city has managed to hold the line on — basically averaging less than 1.2 per cent a year for four years in a row — that basically says we're at a wall. We've managed to hold this city together by string and in some cases a little bit of glue. I don't want to vote for this budget but I will be.

“Unfortunately, the city is in a situation where we don't really have a choice anymore. We've hit a wall where we have a lot of issues in front of us.”