Alberta City spending breaking taxpayers’ backs

Excess municipal spending cost your household $1,625 in 2016, and the equivalent of $9,471 over 2006 – 2016. Your alarm bells should be going off. 

In fact, cities are spending way faster than their tax base is growing. Between 2006 and 2016, municipal real operating spending in Alberta grew nearly 3 times faster than population growth. 

Simply put: taxpayers cannot continue to absorb unsustainably high municipal costs. 

The 2018 Alberta Municipal Spending Report examines 182 municipalities in Alberta, with a specific focus on the largest 20. We are calling on municipal governments to find ways to cut back on spending to help promote a more business friendly environment for local entrepreneurs like you. 

Recommendations for government include:

• Limit spending to inflation and population growth;
• Ensure small businesses are not disproportionately burdened by commercial property taxes;
• Review core services for local government;
• Where cost efficient, services are contracted to the private sector;
• Sustainable wage policy for public sector wage, compensation, and hiring;
• Appropriate contingency funds are put in place in case of natural disasters.

Read full report 2018 Alberta Municipal Spending Report.