January 2013 Newsletter

Happy New Year Ward 14! It's going to be a great year. I can feel it!

I've committed to holding, at the very least, six Aldertalk sessions during 2013. We are going to start the year of Aldertalk sessions off at the Willow Ridge Community Hall (680 Acadia Drive SE) on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013. The session will run from noon until 2 p.m. Check out my Aldertalk page to find out what it's all about.

Make being proactive about your property and/or business assessment a resolution this year. On Jan. 3, 2013 The City will mail-out your 2013 Property and Business Assessment Notices. This is not your tax bill, but it is important. Jan. 3 is also the beginning of your 60-day Customer Review Period. Please take the time during this period to review, compare, and, if necessary, inquire about your Assessment. Please take a long hard, long look at your Assessment and educate yourself on the assessment process. It is your only chance to point out errors in your 2013 Assessment.

On that note, I want to try to clarify something that has confused many Calgarians, including myself at times - why your change in property or business tax from year to year is not necessarily the same the Council approved tax rate change. There are two things that determine your tax change from one year to another: the Council approved increase in the tax rate and the difference between the change in your assessed value compared to Calgary's average change in assessed value. It basically means that if your property increased in value more than average then your tax rate will be more than the Council approved rate and vice versa. That is what The City calls revenue neutral.

I know, it's about as clear as mud. I'm brainstorming ways to make this easier to understand from the outset. You can always contact my office and we'll do our best to explain.

If you are someone who frequently commutes on Macleod Trail, I want to ask you to share your thoughts on a pilot project that began on Nov. 5, 2012. The Lake Fraser Gate Pilot Project is testing a potentially simple and inexpensive remedy to some of south Calgary's traffic congestion. Macleod Trail at Lake Fraser Gate accommodates about 4800 vehicles/hour during the morning rush hour.

Restricting these turn signals should improve the flow of traffic moving northbound along Macleod Trail during the morning rush hour substantially, with minimal impact on those travelling in other directions. So far I am hearing that there is very positive feedback, but there may be some adverse affects for some people taking specific routes and that is why it is important that The City of Calgary get feedback. I have personally had the chance to speak with many stakeholders in this process and want to thank all of them for their participation. You can give your feedback on the project by calling 3-1-1.

If you can't join me at Aldertalk this month or just prefer to contact me another way, please feel free to phone 403-268-1653 or contact my office.

Until next time, I wish you al happy and prosperous New Year!​