2023-2026 Service Lines and Budgets

After five days of public input and budget deliberations, on November 25, 2022 Calgary City Council approved the Service Plans and Budgets for the next four years (2023-2026). Shaped by public inputs from Calgary’s Spring and Fall Citizen Satisfaction Surveys, public outreach to Calgary taxpayers, and targeted meetings with businesses and our Civic Partners, the final Budget was delivered based on Council directions. For more information please visit the City of Calgary website here

We listened and learned. During the past 12 months, the Ward 7 Team and I have been consulting with communities, residents, and businesses during the past year in office and from what I have heard directly from residents during my campaign trail, we have recalibrated the Ward 7 priorities based on your input and discussed these with Council and City Administration.

We have acted. Ward 7 residents, taxpayers, and businesses plus those across the city overwhelmingly asked for Council to consider voting in favour of Safe Communities (i.e. investment in police services; fire; community safety; affordable housing; mental health, addiction, and care for the vulnerable population; safe roadways, sidewalks, and pathways (5A Network); funding for improved transit (i.e. greater availability, accessibility, and affordability plus security on trains, buses and at shelters); poverty and family support (i.e. Family & Community Support Services -FCSS, Vibrant Calgary, housing and shelters, etc.); climate action (i.e. resilience and adaptation); the arts, culture, festivals, events, and a great destination and experience.

We kept our promise. The past week was a humbling reminder to me to stay committed to my campaign promises; Safe Communities; Vibrant Calgary; and Affordable City. I am grateful to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts by connecting with my office, attending the public hearing, and advocating for causes important to you.

I am pleased to share the following highlights from the approved 2023-26 City of Calgary Service Plans and Budgets:

• Support the Vulnerable Population through mental health and addiction, housing and shelter, poverty support, families and communities, and more;
• Investing in our emergency service response including more resources, equipment, and facilities for fire, police, 9-1-1, and community safety;
• Funding for the 5A Network to allow for more equitable mobility across Calgary for active and safe routes to school, traffic control enhancements, improve lighting/building missing sidewalks for accessibility, and better pedestrian safety;
• Advancing the Greater Downtown Plan, Destination Strategy, and Calgary Economy and Jobs: An affordable city is just not achieved by keeping taxes low. In these uncertain times, we need to invest in our shared future by building necessary infrastructure, maintaining vital existing assets, supporting local businesses, and funding amenities that allow Calgarians to live healthy, prosperous lives;
• Improving Transit Services through safety, comfort, accessibility, availability, and affordability;
• Support Arts & Cultures and the Eventful City strategy and particularly the implementation of the Calgary Chinatown Cultural Plan;
• Ensuring our city facilities remain available and open to the public and city workforce through focused investment on fixing and maintaining essential building facilities (i.e. pools, arenas, workplaces, fire halls, etc.;
• Review of Snow and Ice Control protocols for particularly outside priority 1 and 2 routes; and,
• Expediting partnerships for a better and more resilient Calgary with the federal and provincial government, regional partners, school boards, regional municipalities, Alberta Health Services, post-secondaries, etc.

And we are supporting an active and vibrant downtown through a renovation of Historic Firehall No 1 and the Travellers Building as a gathering place and meeting space for downtown community associations and arts groups.

A Better Calgary

Working with 14 other members of City Council and Administration has been a pleasant and rewarding experience. While we have agreed, disagreed, and voted against each other, this has been to bring forward a better Calgary for everyone. Through the next 3 years of this Council term, we will now work with you through Administration on building a better, safe, and prosperous Calgary for everyone with no one left behind.

Please remember that this budget will help to guide administration through business planning but by no means does it mean that this cannot be adjusted going forward. Council will reconvene on December 13th, 2022 to debrief and work to improve this business plan and budget in preparation for the 2024 mid-term adjustments (November 2023). So, I implore all Ward 7 constituents to keep the conversation going by staying connected with my office.

Thank you!

Terry Wong, Ward 7 City Councillor