Weekly Update - Nov 7

Welcome to another weekly wrap up! Budget was the central topic at Council last week.

I was heartened to see the strong support Edmontonians expressed for investment in services like affordable housing, community safety, and transit through the Service Satisfaction Survey presented to us on Monday. These, along with active mobility, climate change, and downtown rebound, will be my top priorities moving into budget deliberations. We had a chance to ask a preliminary round of capital budget questions on Monday and I followed up with 25 written ones that will come out Nov 14th.

We also received a report that provided the first draft of the City's Truth and Reconciliation Commission Implementation Plan. I look forward to this evolving work to continue moving us forward on the work of reconciliation that is vital for all Edmontonians

Public Hearing saw only one rezoning in O-day'min. This was for the new fire station at Blatchford. This new facility will replace a fire station being relocated due to the Yellowhead Trail upgrades and will help keep both Blatchford and surrounding communities safe.

Utility Committee included updates on the City's work on watershed management and Blatchford renewable energy. I'm excited for the work being done to protect the North Saskatchewan - Edmonton's only source of drinking water - and the expansion of green energy in Edmonton. 

The 2023-2026 Operating Budget was released on Thursday, followed by the Climate Budget on Friday. The Climate Budget is the first of its kind and was a sobering reminder of the urgency of the climate emergency.

This week, Council is on recess. I'll be spending my time delving into these budget details. I look forward to continuing to hear from you about your priorities throughout the budgeting process - please reach out by email anytime!