爱城议会同意明年不增地产税，裁员300人，公交票价暂不涨

原始发布日期： 2020-12-11 发布者：虫子

Edmonton council approves zero tax increase next year。

Operating budget cuts more than 300 city staff positions, says interim city manager。

Edmonton property owners will pay the same rate of tax in 2021 after council approved the revised operating and capital budgets Friday.

Council agreed 12-1 to the revised budgets with Mike Nickel voting against the $3-billion 2021 operating budget and $7.4-billion 2019-2022 capital budget.

Nickel had been arguing for a decrease in the tax rate for next year, but the other councillors and Mayor Don Iveson were dedicated to a zero per cent increase — the first one since 1997.

"Property tax doesn't distinguish how people are doing, but we know people are hurting and that's why zero per cent is the right thing to do," Iveson said.

In the spring, council had approved a 3.2 per cent increase for 2021 but reevaluated after the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

A zero per cent tax increase means the owner of a home estimated at $387,000 will pay about $3,609 in property taxes. Property values are adjusted every year.

Council made several adjustments to city administration's proposed budgets, which had identified $64 million in potential savings.

3 pools, 2 arenas

Council agreed to keep funding for Scona, Eastglen and Oliver pools, as well as Oliver and Tipton arenas.

Closing them would have saved $1.2 million in operating costs.

Council had heard from many residents over the past few years about the importance of keeping community recreation centres.

Council also put money back in for a spay-and-neuter program and the city's Green Shacks program for youth, each costing $100,000.

Cut positions

Administration had pinpointed savings of $18.2 million in "workforce strategies," which included leaving vacant positions unfilled, reducing overtime and consolidating work.

About 313 full-time equivalent positions will be cut, with 63 per cent of those positions are already vacant.

Interim city manager Adam Laughlin said 37 per cent of the positions will be eliminated.

In other areas, the Edmonton Public Library agreed to do with less, saving another $1.2 million.

Transit fares

Council agreed to postpone raising single cash transit fares from $3.50 to $3.75 until May.

The city had planned to raise fares, including monthly and annual passes, in February, estimating it would generate an extra $2.7 million.

Adult passes will go up to $100 from the current $97.

Coun. Aaron Paquette noted that many people still taking transit are working in essential services and health care and deserve a break.

The estimates on transit revenue were done before the COVID-19 pandemic, Paquette said, making them unreliable.

（@natashariebe CBC）