Chamber gives feedback on city council’s budget debate

Robinson says there was difficult work done by council, adding that they are to be commended for listening to the community, where possible.

The Chamber canvassed member businesses for budget input earlier this year. It says questions focused on fiscal accountability and cost efficiency.

The Chamber also emphasized to The City the important of critical infrastructure, plus core service and program delivery to ensure a competitive business environment.

“Working on behalf of our members, we advocated to The City of Red Deer ahead of the budget deliberations to bring attention to the challenges and concerns of the business community today and in the year ahead,” says Robinson. “Our message to city council centered on fostering an environment where businesses can thrive and be powerful contributors to the future of Red Deer. There is work to be done to ensure our community’s competitiveness, however, the final budget shows constraint and reflection related to the impact increases in taxes and utilities have on the business community.”

The Chamber also notes that The City is coming off two years with a zero per cent change in property taxes, which meant several planned projects were put on hold or eliminated.

Across Alberta, the Chamber adds, municipalities of all sizes and locations increased taxes to recover from COVID-19, respond to rising inflation costs, replace reserve funds and address reduced grants from the provincial government through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) transfers.

MORE: City of Red Deer and council finalize budget with lowered municipal tax increase

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Chamber gives feedback on city council’s budget debate

What's Trending