| Tax bills
A new way of looking at the amount of money taxpayers give city hall shows rising utility user fees have as much of an impact on Calgarians as tax increases.
The report looked at the effects of fee and tax increases on the average household in Calgary to give a more accurate picture of the impact of city services on taxpayers.
The report says property taxes increased this year by about 3.9 per cent, or about $2.38 per month for the average Calgary household, but utility fees increased $2.56.
The report raises questions about the equity of utility increases, which affect all homeowners regardless of the value of their property, versus taxes, which vary dependent on the assessed value of a homeowners’ property.
Ald. Ric McIvor says the report shows the city is hiding tax increases in utility bills – an assertion contested by many aldermen who say the comparison is unfair because most utility revenue doesn’t flow into regular city budgets.
Smoking plebiscite
A Calgary aldermen failed to convince his colleagues to allow a plebiscite on smoking in bars and restaurants.
But Ald. John Schmal says he’s still hopeful Calgarians will submit a petition to force a plebiscite.
Schmal asked council to consider a motion to clear the way for the plebiscite. Currently, Calgary has a bylaw that increases restrictions on smoking until a total ban is implemented in 2008. Schmal, and several other members of council, say that is too long to wait and they want to give Calgarians a chance to vote on the issue.
Under provincial legislation, a petition with enough signatures can force city council to put the question on a plebiscite.
Castle restoration
A project that removes noxious weeds, re-plants vegetation and stops soil erosion in an ecologically sensitive area of Alberta is going ahead for the second year.
The Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition announced the launch of the second season of their Restoring the Castle Wilderness project recently as a means to protect a link to Waterton Lakes National Park in southwestern Alberta.
The project sees invading weeds pulled by volunteers, inappropriate trails replanted with native vegetation and erosion-control measures implemented.
The Castle Wilderness is a 1,000 square kilometres area of public land between Waterton Lakes park and the Crowsnest Pass.
New regional parks
Three new regional parks will be created in Calgary under a new plan approved by city council – even though none of the parks are actually within the city.
Mayor Dave Bronconnier managed to convince city council to support a plan to set aside land in Bearspaw, Shepard and along Highway 8 west of the city in the anticipation that Calgary will annex the surrounding land as part of its growth.
The plan will cost $50 million – $20 million of which will go to the maintenance and improvement of existing city parks – and will come from profits of the city’s electric utility, Enmax.
The plan has been criticized by some who think the money would be better spent on city services in anticipation of a tight budget year. Others say buying parkland that’s not even inside the city is indicative of the city’s unsustainable surburban growth.
Civil liberties book
The Alberta Civil Liberties Association has published a layperson’s guide to new federal and provincial privacy legislation.
Numerous changes in privacy legislation at both orders of government prompted the handbook, which explains citizens privacy rights. The book is geared towards professionals, public interest groups, business people, non-government organizations, libraries, media outlets and lawyers, according to a press release.
Culture trade
Canada’s cultural deficit – the amount of cultural goods it imports compared to the amount it exports – widened in 2002 for the first time in five years, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.
Although Canada imported a record $2.3 billion worth of cultural goods in 2002, up about four per cent over the previous year, the country imported a record $3.8 billion, the first increase since 1998. That leaves a so-called cultural deficit of $1.3 billion for the year, an increase from $1.2 billion the previous year. |
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