City may slash jobs, freeze taxes amid budget gap

Job cuts and a property tax freeze could await Calgary next year as city hall looks to tame a looming $170-million budget gap.

A budget proposal released Friday — one the city says is meant to be responsive to the needs of the city and community — includes a number of adjustments put forward by staff.

The proposal rolls back a previ- ously approved 4.7 per cent property tax hike to zero, a hike set as part of the original 2015-2018 budget plan approved before the economic downturn.

Even so, residents should still see a 2.9 per cent bump on their bills with the expiry of a one-time rebate council put in place last year meant to delay the effect of a property tax hike until 2018.

A tax increase of one per cent would translate to about a $1.50 per month increase for homeowners, based on median property values of $460,000.

Councillors got a sneak peek at the recommendations on Thursday, ahead of full budget deliberations later this month — ones Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he expects to go smoothly.

Staffing cuts are also part of the plan to bridge a $170-million budget shortfall, with reductions being sought in all city departments amounting to 156 full-time positions.

To maintain service levels and put 55 new officers on the streets, Calgary police have asked the city to increase its slice in the budget by $14.3 million — something Nenshi said he’s hopeful council will approve.

In a statement released Friday, Nenshi said he’s pleased with what he’s seen.

“We’ve closed the budget gap, while minimizing cuts in service and tax increases,” he said.