Fall 2025 Budget Adjustment
Edmonton City Council Chambers with Councillors seated.
Council has just completed several days of budget deliberations, and I wanted to personally to share where we landed, what this means for our city, and how I’m thinking about the path ahead. These conversations are never easy, and I sincerely thank all of the Ward Karhiio residents and Edmontonians for reaching out to me and sharing your perspectives. You can find all budget related documents at edmonton.ca/budget.
This year’s adjustment brings a 6.9% increase. We are in the final year of a four-year budget cycle, which means most programs and capital projects are already in motion. There is very little flexibility to make large shifts without jeopardizing essential services or undoing multi-year commitments. I want to be very honest, that I did not want to see us go above the previously determined 6.4% we started at. I do not take any tax increase lightly and I am well-aware that every dollar counts as affordability remains a top concern I hear from residents year-round. At the same time, Edmonton is facing structural budget pressures, everything from aging infrastructure to population growth to inflation, and I believe it is important to ensure that our essential core services do not deteriorate. Stabilizing Edmonton’s financial health for the long term means addressing these challenges head-on and replenishing our mandated rainy day fund which was critical to keeping us afloat when we navigated difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Investments for Ward Karhiio
From this budget adjustment, here are some key investments that directly affect our communities in Ward Karhiio:
Fire Station for Walker
We now have movement on the long-awaited fire station in Walker. This will significantly improve emergency response times and bring service in the area up to the standard every resident deserves. I will share updates in my e-newsletter as this project progresses.
Improved Transit Service
Two important investments in transit are moving forward that will make transit more reliable for many residents in the southeast:
Expanding DATS, our Accessible Transit Service, which has seen significant increase in demand. Without this funding, we estimated about 120,000 DATS rides would have been denied for Edmontonians who need it.
Buying more buses, which will improve frequency and reliability, including converting the On-Demand service in Hills of Charlesworth to a regular bus route.
Reduced Waste Collection Fees
For the second year in a row, the City of Edmonton will be reducing all residents' Waste Collection fees. Last budget, we were able to make a 10% reduction in your bill, and this year you will see an additional 3% reduction. In a time of affordability challenges, I appreciate the efficiencies our Waste Team has worked hard to help generate.
Investments in Traffic Safety
Data shows that speeding violations and tragic traffic fatalities have been increasing in Edmonton this last year. At the same time, most of the City's Automated Traffic Enforcement has been restricted due to Provincial Legislation. With lives at risk everyday, Council supported a traffic safety enforcement team for our roads - this means more consistent monitoring to help reduce speeding/reckless driving, ultimately improving safety for everyone. This will be paid for through fine revenue from those violating rules and regulations on the road.
Progress on Election Commitments
A few commitments from my election platform are also now underway after this Budget Adjustment:
Infill Liaison Team: Many residents have talked to me about the need to do infill in a better way. The Infill Liaison Team is a dedicated point of contact for residents during infill construction projects to make the entire process more transparent and predictable by improving communication between builders, the City, and neighbours. The team will respond quickly to infill concerns, work to minimize disruptions such as noise, traffic, and site management issues, and increase enforcement. By having a clear, accountable touchpoint, we can reduce frustration, strengthen trust, and support high-quality infill that integrates well into existing communities.
Explore Edmonton: Explore Edmonton continues to demonstrate their value to the City as our Tourism body - driving the visitor economy, vibrancy and local businesses and communities. For each $1 of funding that they receive, they are able to generate about $29 of return for the local economy (for example: people booking hotels/local venues, spending money at small business and restaurants, etc.). This is the kind of return I want to see when we invest in organizations. Explore has been operating on a year-to-year basis, but through this budget adjustment we were able to provide them with predictable and stable funding. In full transparency, my preference was to fund Explore Edmonton through the Financial Stabilization Reserve not the Tax Levy this year (to avoid further tax increases), and table their larger funding conversation for the 4-year budget. While this was not successful, I do believe in the immense value Explore brings to the City.
River Valley Trail Strategy: This strategy will guide the long-term health of our river valley, including future maintenance, rehabilitation, and improvements to ensure the entire trail network remains safe and accessible. By investing in proactive planning today, we strengthen environmental stewardship and ensure that one of our city’s most valued public assets can continue to be enjoyed for decades to come.
Arterial Road Condition and Capacity: Unfortunately, two motions I introduced to address the deteriorating condition of our arterial roads and the growing capacity pressures did not pass. Well-maintained, efficient arterial roads are essential for safety, mobility and economic activity across the city and I often hear from residents in the Ward about the need for expansion to alleviate the pressure brought on by congestion. Although these motions were not approved this cycle, I will continue championing this work in the next four-year budget cycle.
Next Steps for the 4-Year Budget
As we head into the next four-year budget cycle, I see this as a real opportunity for us to reset and make meaningful, long-term changes to how we operate as a City. This budget will allow us to rebuild what the City invests in, stay focused on industrial development and other strategies that shift pressure off the residential tax base, and position Edmonton for sustainable growth. Ultimately, we will be able to strengthen our financial strategies so we can move toward greater stability. My goal is to prevent the kind of tax increases we’ve experienced in recent years.
Next year, I’ll be hosting budget conversations and a dedicated town hall within the ward. These will be opportunities for you to ask questions, share what matters most to you, and help shape the priorities we bring forward. I truly value hearing directly from residents, and I hope you’ll join in when those sessions are announced through my e-newsletter which you can subscribe to here.
For further details, I also encourage you to explore the City of Edmonton's website to learn more about the 2023-2026 City Budget. If you have specific questions that I can share more information on or additional suggestions about City finances, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at keren.tang@edmonton.ca.
Thank you for taking the time to follow along with this work. I’m looking forward to continuing these conversations with Ward Karhiio in the months ahead.
