Ward Sspomitapi Budget
Engagement Results
Last spring, the City of Edmonton hosted budget engagement events in all of the City's 12 wards to gather public feedback.
I went a step further, with my office hosting 6 additional budget engagement workshops across Ward Sspomitapi.
During these workshops, residents discussed what they wanted to see out of the next city-budget. More specific information was collected through budget engagement activities.
Below are the results of those engagement sessions, and information on how Ward Sspomitapi's preferred budget approach compares to city-wide budget engagement results.
Which budget approach do Ward Sspomitapi residents prefer?
Budget decisions can impact both the programs and services the City provides, as well as the tax rates Edmontonians pay.
Workshop participants shared their thoughts on the balance of taxation to outcomes they wanted to see out of the next budget.
Overall, Ward Sspomitapi residents greatly value city services, and want to see current or improved service levels prioritized in the next city budget, even if it means increasing taxes.
How does this compare to city-wide engagement results?
Results from the city-wide engagement sessions (including one session in Ward Sspomitapi) were much more split, with no budget approach being supported by more than one third of participants, and many more people wanting to see broad variances in the tax rate, both up and down.
Ward Sspomitapi residents were more likely to say they wanted to see existing services and programs maintained, while also making it clear that large swings in tax rates or service levels were not acceptable.
People plan their lives and budgets around the decisions made in City Council. We need to provide clarity and predictability for Edmontonians so that they feel comfortable investing and staying in Edmonton.
What are Ward Sspomitapi's budget priorities?
We asked workshop participants to choose which three things the city does they want to see more funding go towards in the next budget, and which three should receive less funding.
People want to see results for their tax dollars, with an emphasis on strengthening existing programs and services, as well as keeping our existing infrastructure well-maintained.