Council cancels electric bike rebate
Iveson votes against ending program, calling it ‘good politics,’ but ‘bad policy’
Edmonton city council voted Monday to cancel a contentious electric bike rebate program and reallocate $100,000 to reduce future tax levies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But with the program being cancelled partway through, 299 residents who bought an e-bike and had their application accepted by the city won’t receive the financial incentive of up to $750.
The three-year initiative that launched earlier this month offered a total of $50,000 a year to residents purchasing an e-bike in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. About 690 applications were received in less than a week for the program offering a rebate up to 30 per cent of an e-bike purchase, with an average price tag of $2,000.
But 10 councillors decided to cancel the planned program for 2021 and 2022, arguing it isn’t a good use of taxpayer dollars during this time of fiscal restraint for the city. Downtown Coun. Scott Mckeen, who brought the successful motion forward, said he was getting hounded by residents furious with this program at a time when many have lost their jobs or are fighting to keep their business afloat.
“We lost the plot on this one,” Mckeen said to his fellow councillors ahead of the 10-3 vote to defund the program. “I thought Edmontonians needed to see from their civic leaders that we understand what’s going on out there and we’re symbolically going to make a move to recognize that, and find other ways to help them through this pandemic.”
About 83 successful applicants will still receive a rebate this year on a first-come, first-served basis for a total of $50,000 as the program will remain in place this year. But the other 299 residents who had their applications deemed valid will be out of luck.
Mayor Don Iveson voted against discontinuing the rebate because it was an accelerated action brought forward as part of the city’s energy transition strategy last December with the goal of limiting a global warming temperature increase to 1.5 C. Councillors Aaron Paquette and Ben Henderson also voted against ending the program, concerned that it will impact the city ’s ability to meet the target after council declared a climate emergency last August.
“I get it. I mean here I am talking about our $169- to $260-million budget shortfall every media interview I have. The grass is a foot long in the city and people are saying why is the grass a foot long in the city?” Iveson said of the public opposition to the e-bike program. “I get it is absolutely good politics to cancel this program ... but it’s bad policy to defund our climate initiatives.”
The e-bike program was part of a larger $4.8-million rebate package estimated to reduce over 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. It includes larger funding amounts for energy-efficient commercial building upgrades and solar-panel roof installations.
Another component that could be on the chopping block is $300,000 allocated for electric-vehicle charging stations. Coun. Andrew Knack put forward a notice of motion to cancel this program in the final two years and return the funds to the tax levy. Under this program, residential owners can receive 50 per cent back on the cost of a charger, up to $600 for existing homes, and commercial owners can receive a rebate of $5,000 per charger, up to a maximum of five.
Meanwhile, council also voted Monday to advance four permanent, supportive housing developments by selling the city land to Homeward Trust for $1 each. The housing agency will then be tasked with operating the 150 units of housing. Coun. Mike Nickel was the only vote in opposition. Another housing initiative also got the go-ahead with council unanimously approving a grant program for converting problem properties into affordable housing.