Inflation and investment: Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek looks back at 2022 – Calgary

Because the yr attracts to a detailed, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek stated she is targeted on boosting the town’s economic system and addressing social points within the metropolis within the coming yr.

Chatting with World Information on Friday, Gondek stated she was dedicated to the council’s downtown regeneration technique to create a vibrant city heart in the midst of the town.

The technique will embrace changing 1000’s of former workplace areas into residential models, which won’t solely drive the native economic system but in addition handle housing insecurity within the metropolis. Gondek estimated that 777,000 sq. toes of former workplace area might be transformed into roughly 700 residential models.

“In 2021 we endorsed the downtown regeneration technique and it was a partnership between many stakeholder teams. There have been enterprise homeowners, downtown advocates and our personal administration,” Gondek informed World Calgary anchor Linda Olsen.

“They stated investing cash now would assist us get well, and we stayed true to that mission and that imaginative and prescient.

“It is a huge change for us as a result of the town heart was primarily a spot to work. Now it will be a spot the place extra individuals stay and it will be extra lively… That is vital for any metropolis.”

Gondek additionally spoke about public transport and metropolis heart questions of safety, which can even be acknowledged within the metropolis heart revitalization technique.

A latest ThinkHQ Public Affairs survey discovered {that a} majority of Calgarians view the town as much less protected than it was three years in the past. About 53 p.c of the 1,172 Calgarians surveyed stated they really feel much less protected within the metropolis, and 48 p.c of these surveyed really feel crime is excessive within the metropolis at this time.

“(Initiatives like this) are additionally getting curiosity from authorities companions. I do know the federal authorities is excited about seeing how they may help with among the revitalization plan,” the mayor stated.

“The provincial authorities has introduced that they may make investments practically $200 million between Calgary and Edmonton to make transit safer and assist weak individuals get to a greater place.

“All of this has an affect on downtown and a rising metropolis.”

Overseas buyers excited about Calgary, mayor stated

Canadian buyers aren’t the one individuals excited about establishing enterprise relationships in Calgary, Gondek stated.

Overseas buyers, such because the US movie and tv trade, are additionally excited about establishing store within the metropolis.

Gondek stated she has spent a lot of the previous yr selling Calgary’s financial growth, tourism and enterprise alternatives.

“We’re actually making an attempt to get the phrase out about what Calgary has to supply, not simply from a customer’s perspective, however as a spot to find your online business and produce individuals to stay right here,” she stated. stated.

“We went to Toronto to speak about how (the tech trade) has taken off in Calgary, and I feel we have been profitable as a result of we’re not speaking about tech as a sector, however how they’re the brand new face of enterprise is. in Calgary.”

The mayor additionally took a visit to Los Angeles this yr to speak to movie executives about producing motion pictures and TV reveals in and across the metropolis. The upcoming HBO present The Final of Us was filmed in Calgary and different components of Alberta.

“Most individuals down there know that we now have movie crews. We’ve expertise on digital camera and behind the scenes and we now have the infrastructure wanted (to provide these movies). It is simply to advertise who we’re,” Gondek stated.

However a core a part of these conferences is making an attempt to rebrand the town’s picture away from simply cowboys and Stampede.

“I feel the necessary factor for Calgary is to embrace the truth that we’re various. There are a lot of faces of Calgary. We’re the third most various metropolis on this nation and most of the people do not know that,” she stated.

“You will need to have totally different voices telling our story. It is a good suggestion to have somebody who’s younger and new to Canada say that they really feel welcome and that they belong right here.

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“It is also simply as necessary that somebody who has had household on this metropolis for generations says that they stayed right here as a result of it is an incredible place to stay. All these voices should be heard.”

Inflation is a significant concern

Regardless of the bold initiatives and objectives for the following yr, Gondek acknowledged that inflation is a significant concern for Calgarians seeking to pay extra property taxes within the metropolis’s upcoming four-year funds.

Property taxes will see a mean annual enhance of three.7 p.c over the four-year time period of the 2023-2026 funds, which was authorised in November. The common single-family house in Calgary will see a property tax enhance of 5.2 per cent subsequent yr, or $9.83 per thirty days.

However Gondek stated the town is seeking to the federal and provincial governments for assist funding initiatives such because the bus electrification technique, which goals to exchange as much as 250 diesel buses with end-of-life zero- and low-emission automobiles that in 2023.

Metropolis workers stated they submitted an utility to the Canada Infrastructure Financial institution for a $168 million mortgage, together with a $223 million grant from the Canada Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF). The town will finance the remaining $100 million, workers stated.

“The great thing about making this transition from diesel to the electrical fleet is the financial savings and operations will really pay for that conversion and it’ll pay the mortgage and the curiosity. We are going to make a clear shift that pays for itself,” stated Gondek.

Gondek additionally stated the town needs to re-evaluate how a lot property tax companies must pay. A call might be made early subsequent yr.

“Just a few years again, about 55 p.c of the duty of the funds was on the enterprise sector. We corrected that scenario just a few years again and we modified it to 48 p.c,” she stated.

“However solely 20 p.c of the income generated from property taxes comes from these companies, and when you think about that 95 p.c of our companies are small companies, they do want extra truthful therapy.”

Alberta’s Sovereignty Act could be a problem

Alberta’s new sovereignty legislation might current a problem for the town, Gondek stated.

Invoice 1, in any other case generally known as the Alberta Sovereignty Inside A United Canada Act, was launched on December 15 by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani. Premier Danielle Smith has vowed to push the sovereignty invoice by her management marketing campaign to push again on what Alberta believes is unconstitutional federal interference in provincial affairs.

However the invoice has acquired harsh criticism from members of the opposition and Albertans. Most notably, Onion Lake Cree Nation has taken authorized motion in opposition to Alberta over the invoice, arguing that it violates treaty and constitutional rights.

Gondek stated the invoice places Calgary at an obstacle.

“The province is making an attempt to ship a message to the federal authorities that in case you do not have interaction with us in a significant manner, we do not need legal guidelines imposed on us that we imagine are unfair. In the identical vein, I might say that municipalities must be heard by the province,” she stated.

“We’ve been asking for a very long time to have a fairer deal for the town. Having solely property taxes as our certainty and predictability of revenue is really detrimental to our residents.”

Gondek additionally stated the town might be requested to withstand federal orders because of Invoice 1.

“If the provincial authorities says it does not need us to do what the federal authorities says, we’re caught within the center, virtually like two mother and father arguing and no matter resolution we make would be the incorrect resolution for one order of presidency. This can be a very untenable place for us,” she added.

Mayor appears ahead to a brand new yr

However regardless of the challenges, Gondek stated the previous yr has been an enormous lesson for her and her colleagues, though she has acquired numerous hate and harassment from voters.

As the primary feminine mayor of Calgary, Gondek stated her expertise was “fascinating.”

“Probably the most vital issues we now have performed as a council is to make use of course of and diligence to our benefit. We stated that is how we do correct civil discourse,” she stated.

“I feel that sort of construction and willingness to work collectively has been optimistic for us, even after we disagree with one another. If you find yourself seen and heard and you’ll vote in a disciplined manner, you’ll be able to nonetheless get the job performed.”

Gondek encourages Calgarians to be compassionate and sort to one another within the new yr.

“I do know it has been onerous, and I do know you guys have been affected person as we come out of some powerful occasions and I need to thank everybody for sticking by it,” she stated.

“Let’s proceed to be variety and compassionate to one another. There are huge issues on the horizon and we’re heading that manner collectively.”

– With information from World Information’ Adam MacVicar, Adam Toy and Meaghan Archer.