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city council

City looking to move up shovel-ready projects, potential for 0% increase to property taxes for 2020

Apr 21, 2020 | 5:30 AM

City Council has directed the Mayor to write a letter to the province listing all the City’s shovel ready projects.

City Councillor Kevin O’Toole says they moved up future projects that are considered ready to begin from the City’s future capital plans.

“We had a number of things come up on the plate to either start or complete, and we have things that are in place, so shovel ready projects, (and) that number is quite high.”

O’Toole says the goal is to get Albertans back to work during the pandemic, and to potentially get some funding from the provincial government to begin those projects.

City Council has also directed administration to bring them a scenario of a 0 per cent tax increase for 2020 for city residents, which is to be brought back at the next regular council meeting.

In November of 2019, Council held their budget deliberations for 2020, where a property tax increase of 1.25 per cent was decided on.

A decision to examine no increase in the property tax was made due to the uncertainty of facility and business closures surrounding the current COVID-19 pandemic, and to help home and business owners who may be struggling financially.