Calgary City Council Approves List of $60m in Budget Cuts

On July 23, Calgary City Council met to discuss $60 million in budget cuts and to approve a list of proposed reductions by service. In a vote of 13-1, Council approved a number of reductions, including cuts to transit, fire and emergency response, social programs, arts, the Indigenous Relations Office, recreation, the City’s climate resilience strategy, and affordable housing, among others. These cuts will result in 115 layoffs of current city employees and 108 other positions (including vacancies/retirements) being removed.

This $60 million cut came from the decision Council made in June to provide a 10% non-residential property tax rebate to business owners, as their tax rates this year saw an exceptional increase due to growing vacancies in the downtown core.

CCVO will be analyzing these cuts further to see their impact on the nonprofit sector, so stay posted for our findings. Until then, you can stay updated with the activities of City Council here, learn more about the cuts here, and view the complete list of reductions here.