Government of Alberta
News release
The province, Edmonton and Calgary have signed an agreement that brings the three governments together to tackle local issues like housing and transportation planning.
After hearing from thousands of Albertans, both in-person and online, the Alberta government and the cities of Edmonton and Calgary have developed a draft city charter that will better support the cities’ ability to provide services and attract investment.
A new charter regulation, now posted for public comment, will provide Alberta’s two biggest cities with new tools to better address climate change, promote affordable housing and more efficiently manage municipal tickets.
“We are making practical changes that recognize Alberta’s two largest cities have different opportunities and needs than our province’s smallest municipality of 25 people. The Government of Alberta has collaborated with the cities of Edmonton and Calgary to strengthen the existing partnership and enhance our collective ability to tackle the challenges facing Albertans.”
– Shaye Anderson, Minister of Municipal Affairs.
The province and the cities have also agreed on the scope of further work on a new fiscal framework. This includes the development of a new infrastructure-funding formula based on provincial revenues that grow with the economy. No new taxes are included. The three governments will also work to develop a new system for administering the existing destination marketing fee which will improve transparency and accountability. Lastly, the parties will find administrative efficiencies through a review of tax authorities and give the cities greater accountability for debt management.
“In partnership with the cities, we are working toward a fiscally sustainable approach to funding municipal infrastructure that recognizes that the cities are partners in growing our economy. The cities will share the downside of revenue decreases like we’ve seen in recent years, and their funding will increase when the economy – and the pressure on their infrastructure – grows.”
– Joe Ceci, Minister of Finance.