Smart Spending, Strong Services
Property Taxes rose 21.5% in the last year 4 years under Michael Janz’s term. The City of Edmonton is currently $4.7 billion in debt. This is unsustainable, irresponsible, and is projected to increase.
Have you seen this increase reflected in core services improving or expanding? No. This is what I want to do if elected as City Councillor:
- Make your tax dollars work for you. Must-haves will be prioritized over nice-to-haves.
- Develop a blue ribbon panel to take our budgeting down to bare bones, building it back up dollar for dollar in a way that is accountable to you.
- Bring back fiscal prudence and sound project management to a City Council that seems to lack the experience and mind it takes to run an efficient City.
Currently, the City of Edmonton is servicing its debt at a rate of 11%. This is one of the largest line-items in the city budget. Continually increasing our debt burden puts us on the path to insolvency. This has to change. We need to rein in our spending and turn our attention to what matters to you.
The city needs to focus on core services such as snow removal, on maintenance of facilities and public land, our crumbling back alleys, police and fire. We need to review what our wants and needs are. We need to find the problems and work collaboratively to fix them. We also need to tie this spending to outcomes, publicly share what these outcomes are, and how each and every dollar we spend as a city improves your way of life.
We cannot continue to spend money on things that are provincial responsibilities. As your next city councillor I will demonstrate the same fiscal accountability that I use in my own life, pay for what you can afford and prioritize. I manage my own portfolio, my own house, and I’m running a campaign right now. The proof is in the pudding.