Spending Priorities: Edmonton Needs Common-Sense Leadership

City Council has a responsibility to prioritize spending wisely. When money is limited, choices must be made. If more spending is wanted, then more revenue must be found. Instead of tightening their belts, this Council has repeatedly chosen to raise taxes and find “creative” ways to take more from Edmontonians.

The Arena Park Deal

A recent example is the Downtown arena park project. The Province and the Oilers Entertainment Group offered a deal that included demolishing Rexall Place and the possibility of new housing. Council approved it—fearing the Province would pull funding if they didn’t.

The problem? Council had already maxed out its budget. To pay for this, they extended the Community Revitalization Levy (CRL). While Council frames this as “borrowing against future development,” what they don’t highlight is that extending the CRL diverts the education portion of property taxes into the project.

In other words, entertainment was prioritized over education. Council could have pushed for housing first and committed arena park funding in the next capital cycle, but they didn’t.

Fire Stations vs. Bike Lanes

Another telling example is how Council chose to fund fire stations. Instead of paying through the general budget, they pushed the cost onto developers using off-site levies. Every time a property is built in a new development, a fee is charged to cover fire station construction. That fee gets passed on to homebuyers, making housing even less affordable.

Meanwhile, Council found $100 million for bike lanes—the same amount needed for fire stations. The total $11 billion capital budget could have been adjusted to cover emergency services, but Council decided differently.

To be clear: cycling infrastructure has a place in our city. The Municipal Government Act requires Edmonton to provide it. But emergency services should always come first. Firefighters are already struggling with outdated equipment, understaffed stations, and tight budgets. Council’s priorities say bike lanes before fire stations. That’s unacceptable.

Roads, Sidewalks, and Basic Infrastructure

Advocates for bike lanes often argue that too much is already spent on roads. But every single Edmontonian benefits from roads. Groceries, clothes, and yes—even bikes—arrive in this city on trucks that need roads.

In fact, much of the money spent on roads isn’t even from general taxes. Neighbourhood renewal projects are funded 50% directly by residents. Developers pay for roads and sidewalks in new neighbourhoods, with those costs passed onto homebuyers. Residents already pay extra for this infrastructure.

So when Council prioritizes more bike lanes over repairing local roads or funding fire stations, it’s clear that spending priorities are off balance.

A Smarter Approach to the Budget

The next Council will have a chance to do things differently through “zero-based budgeting,” which means building the budget from scratch. Every expense should be justified, not just rolled over. Unfortunately, early reports haven’t shown enough detail. We need transparency at the line-by-line level to separate essential spending from nice-to-haves.

I believe the capital budget needs to be rethought as well. This Council approved an $11B capital budget, far higher than the $5.7B originally set by the previous Council. I would support a $7B capital budget, but only spend $5B at the start—leaving $2B in reserve for emerging priorities. That way, we won’t scramble for money when unexpected needs arise.

I’d also introduce a new kind of omnibus spend: give each Councillor $50M to invest in ward-specific projects. This ensures every community benefits while the remainder of the budget goes toward city-wide priorities.

My Spending Priorities

If the city budget were a home budget, this Council would choose jet skis over groceries. My vision is the opposite:

• Paramount: Emergency services—fire, police, medical.

• Core: Libraries, rec centres, and basic infrastructure (including cycling, where reasonable).

• Practical: Savings and contingency funds.

• Nice-to-Have: Optional projects, the “jet skis” of city spending.

This is not about cutting everything. It’s about prioritizing what keeps Edmontonians safe and supported, while leaving room for unexpected needs.

Priority	This Council’s Actions	Jason Bale’s Vision
Paramount	Jet Skis	Food, Shelter, and other basic necessities
Core Needs	Food, shelter, reliable Transportation	Reliable transportation and after school/work activities
Practically Necessary	Savings and after school/work activities	Savings
Nice to have	Other basic necessities	Jet Skis

The Real Cost to Edmontonians

In 2021, the average Edmonton homeowner paid about $2,600 in property taxes. In 2025, that same home will pay about $4,000. By 2029, it could climb to over $6,100—a nearly $200 monthly increase.

That’s money families can’t afford to lose. You shouldn’t have to make difficult choices at home because Council refuses to make them at City Hall.

The Bottom Line

If roads, sidewalks, and fire stations are not included in our taxes, then what is? Edmontonians want common sense, fiscal prudence, and safety. But those can’t just be buzzwords—they need real action and clear priorities. My commitment is to put emergency services first, fund core needs, save for the unexpected, and only then consider “nice-to-haves.”

A vote for Jason Bale is a vote for a Councillor who will make the hard choices at City Hall, so you don’t have to make them at home.

On October 20, let’s choose leadership that puts Edmonton families first.