Calgary can grow. But not like this. – Calgary’s Future

Calgarians want less sprawl, not more. We were paying for 27 new communities – and then city council approved 14 more. 

Your property taxes went up to pay for it. Developers are supposed to pitch in levy money to help, but the housing market slowed last fall – now they’re not keeping up with the cost. 

3 major problems with how council’s handled the new developments:

• They didn’t consider an economic downturn. Since developer levy payments slowed, Calgarians have to make up a budget shortfall of $57 million.
• They didn’t consider our climate commitments. Suburban sprawl means more cars on the road that create more emissions.  
• They didn’t account for provincial budget cuts. After increasing your taxes to pay for the developments, council increased them again to deal with provincial budget cuts. 

Here’s the worst part. Calgarians were asked to pay for budget shortfalls, but not a single cent was cut from the budget for these 14 new communities. 

We’re paying for communities that haven’t been built. No one lives in them. People across Calgary are trying hard to rebuild after the economic downturn, COVID-19, and recent flooding. 

It’s not right. That money could be better spent helping our existing communities recover and grow. We deserve a city council that knows that. 

Next year, we can make sure we get one. Calgary is holding a city-wide election, and Calgary’s Future is dedicated to finding, supporting, and electing people you can trust. 

Right now, the best way to help is by spreading the word. Can you share the link below with your friends?

https://calgarysfuture.ca/value