Week in Review - December 4, 2015
December 04, 2015
The week was kicked off in a jubilant way, with the Edmonton Eskimos winning the 103rd Grey Cup on Sunday. Mayor Iveson was in Winnipeg where he and his wife were on hand to watch the Edmonton Eskimos defeat the Ottawa RedBlacks 26-20 to win their 14th Grey Cup. After the game, the Mayor congratulated Quarterback Mike Reilly for his late game heroics and for being named the Most Valuable Player for the game. The football team also let the Mayor hoist the Grey Cup for a few seconds during the post-game festivities.
On Tuesday, the City held a celebration rally for the football team in Churchill Square over the noon hour. Thousands of Edmontonians came out to show their support for the team. The Mayor spoke at the rally and he officially proclaimed December 1, 2015 as “Edmonton Eskimos Day” in Edmonton.
From Monday until Thursday there was only one thing on City Council’s mind - the 2016-18 Operating Budget.
Council deliberated over 67 amendments and subsequent motions to the proposed three-year city budget this week. Many of the unfunded service packages that were brought up for discussion remained unfunded as Council sought to restrain spending and decrease the impact on property taxes. In the end, City Council unanimously passed the main budget motion Thursday afternoon which delivers on many issues important to Edmontonians:
- Listening to Edmontonians wanting fiscal restraint by funding Neighbourhood Renewal through other sources, allowing for a 1.5% cut in the proposed property tax increase;
- Bringing certainty to the Edmonton Police Service budget by introducing a funding formula based on inflation and population growth;
- Setting up a Low Income Transit Pass for 2017 and 2018, with implementation taking place quicker if the provincial government partners with the city; and,
- Holding the line on funding services that are outside the city’s jurisdiction and are the responsibility of the provincial and federal government, such as affordable housing.
The Mayor also took time to post his final budget thoughts on his blog.
Mayor Iveson also took some time this week to meet with the the city’s new “transit boss.” Eddie Robar hails from the east coast and is our city’s new Branch Manager of Edmonton Transit. The Mayor welcomed Mr. Robar to his new role and they took time to chat about some exciting undertakings ahead, such as the transit review currently underway. This review and public engagement will result in a new transit strategy - guiding what Edmonton’s vast transportation network will look like in the next ten years.
New employment numbers for the Edmonton Metropolitan region also came out on Friday, showing that we are still gaining jobs in the city. In November, our region saw almost 7,000 new jobs created. The diversity of our local economy is credited with allowing us to absorb most of the shock associated with lower oil prices.
That wraps up a budget-heavy week for Mayor Iveson and his office. From the Mayor’s Office, have a wonderful weekend!
For More Information
Mayor Don Iveson
2nd Floor, City Hall
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
Edmonton, AB
T5J 2R7
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