Finances
What do you think the city's main fiscal challenge is?
Context:
In Alberta, municipalities are generally not allowed to run budget deficits, which means city council must make difficult decisions at budget time. Property taxes, which some consider regressive, provide roughly 57% of the city's $3 billion in revenue each year. Beyond raising taxes, council must generally focus on managing expenses, by spending less or trying to find efficiencies.
Candidate responses
A total of 67 candidates have responded to the survey. Here's how they answered this question:
a) City council hasn't been willing to raise taxes enough
No candidates selected this response
b) The city has limited ability to raise revenues
Candidates that selected this response:
Gino Akbari Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Ahmed 'Knowmadic' Ali Councillor
Candidate in
tastawiyiniwak
Moe Banga Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Cody Bondarchuk Councillor
Candidate in
tastawiyiniwak
Adrian Bruff Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Tony Caterina Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Kirsten Goa Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Brian (Breezy) Gregg Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Scott Hayes Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Michael Janz Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Harman Singh Kandola Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
James Kosowan Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Glynnis Andrea Lieb Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Cori Longo Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Aaron Paquette Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Ashley Salvador Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Rashpal Sehmby Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Keren Tang Councillor
Candidate in
Karhiio
Shamair Turner Councillor
Candidate in
Karhiio
Jo-Anne Wright Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
c) The city spends too much
Candidates that selected this response:
James Cameron Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Abdul Malik Chukwudi Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Rick Comrie Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Jon Dziadyk Councillor
Candidate in
tastawiyiniwak
Scott Johnston Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Salar Melli Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Tricia Velthuizen Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Steve Weston Councillor
Candidate in
Nakota Isga
d) The city spends its resources inefficiently
Candidates that selected this response:
Haruun Ali Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Gabrielle Battiste Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Jason Carter Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Tim Cartmell Councillor
Candidate in
pihêsiwin
Abdulhakim Dalel Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Mark Davies Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Bev Esslinger Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Susan Field Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Giselle General Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Jasbir Singh Gill Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Andy Andrzej Gudanowski Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Naima Haile Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Sarah Hamilton Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Daniel Heikkinen Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Derek Hlady Councillor
Candidate in
sipiwiyiniwak
Rhiannon Hoyle Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Liz John-West Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Kim Krushell Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Mukesh Makwana Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Sanjay Malhotra Councillor
Candidate in
Sspomitapi
Caroline Matthews Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Mohammed Migdaddy Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Jon Morgan Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Michael Oshry Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Lana Palmer Councillor
Candidate in
Dene
Guiscela Perez Arellano Councillor
Candidate in
pihêsiwin
Jennifer Rice Councillor
Candidate in
Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi
Erin Rutherford Councillor
Candidate in
Anirniq
Charan Saggu Councillor
Candidate in
Karhiio
Tarcy Schindelka Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Amarjeet Sohi Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Diana Steele Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Steven Townsend Councillor
Candidate in
Métis
Byron Vass Councillor
Candidate in
papastew
Cheryll Watson Mayor
Candidate in
City Wide
Joshua Wolchansky Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
e) I don't have a position on this issue
Candidates that selected this response:
Andrew Knack Councillor
Candidate in
Nakota Isga
Candidates that skipped this question:
Anne Stevenson Councillor
Candidate in
O-day'min
Voter responses
Based on the first 16,000 responses to our 2021 survey, here's how voters answered this question:
Overall
By ward
Note: Taproot excluded surveys with fewer than two answers from these results. It was possible for voters to fill out the survey multiple times, but unlikely at a large scale given the structure of the survey. Voters were not able to select "I don't have a position on this issue".