Tensions rise at Edmonton city hall over budget process, partisanship accusations

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Tensions on city council were on display at Edmonton city hall this week leading up to December budget debates, the last budget this council will set before the 2025 municipal election.

Disagreements arose over a process first introduced by Mayor Amarjeet Sohi at the budget table two years ago where he pitched a suite of amendments — cuts and additions — all at once before councillors attempt their own changes. All 15 items on Sohi’s budget amendment list passed last year, which shaved $8 million off the total while increasing bus service and funding to remove homeless encampments. Sohi’s entire 36-item list also passed for the 2023 budget.

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On Thursday, the mayor said he worked with his colleagues behind the scenes to reach a consensus and plans to do the same this year. Most were in favour.

But Coun. Tim Cartmell wanted to stop it. Cartmell said his experience was not collaborative, that he’s made suggestions but they didn’t end up on Sohi’s list.

Cartmell accused council of partisanship despite many councillors’ public opposition to bringing party politics to the municipal government.

“When a subset of council gets together and makes a list, and then presents it to the others on council and says, ‘hHey this is what we are thinking, what do you think, or feel free to amend if you like,’ that feels like a party process,” Cartmell said introducing his motion.

“I have heard a lot, a lot of talk here about how we don’t want subsets, or parties, or one group of council effectively taking control of the agenda and taking us away from what is supposed to be a 13-person consensus table. I don’t support that part of it because it has not worked the way it has been presented, at least not in my experience.”

While some councillors supported Cartmell, others pushed back on his remarks, including those about partisanship.

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Coun. Erin Rutherford said there was a vote earlier in the day that challenges the notion that council is separated into parties already. Earlier Thursday, the mayor unsuccessfully moved to cut his salary and was supported by Cartmell, and councillors Michael Janz and Jennifer Rice.

“There’s not party lines in our votes,” Rutherford said. “We vote in very diverse ways. And that’s where we represent our constituents.”

Coun. Keren Tang said if councillors felt left out “it may feel like party politics,” but she disagreed, emphasizing the value of the mayor’s efforts to build a consensus.

“I also think it’s a two-way conversation. We are presented with options, we can choose to be participatory, we can choose to be collaborative, or we can choose another way around,” Tang said.

Not included?

Councillors Sarah Hamilton and Rice agreed with Cartmell’s concerns of not being fully included in the behind-the-scenes discussions. Hamilton said she didn’t think the process is fair or collaborative, while Rice said she had a similar experience despite the mayor’s good intentions.

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“To be honest, it has felt baked at times. If you were on the right side of something being baked, then that’s great, but if we are talking about transparency and working things out in the room, I think that there is something to separating out a motion (for debate),” Hamilton said. “I don’t think it’s particularly fair that the mayor just gets to table stuff that gets to be unanimous or near-unanimously tabled.”

“I have similar experience with them,” Rice said. “I appreciate the great intention but sometimes between the great intention and experiences, there is a gap there.”

The mayor apologized to councillors who felt they weren’t adequately consulted and defended the process.

“If some of my colleagues do feel that I missed the mark, I am sorry for that, because that is not my intent,” he said, adding he has put out numerous requests for councillors to meet with him to discuss this next budget. “I hope that we take on that opportunity and we can sit together and figure out a desire to move forward together, to focus on the priorities of Edmontonians that they want us to work together.”

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“(Edmontonians) expect me to provide that citywide leadership in the role of the mayor, to advance our shared collective goal of building a great city. I will continue to do that.”

Tang, Rutherford and councillors Andrew Knack and Aaron Paquette supported the mayor’s efforts. While some said they understand councillors who felt left out, they think the process is a good one.

“I also think it’s a two-way conversation,” Tang said. “We are presented with options, we can choose to be participatory, we can choose to be collaborative, or we can choose another way around.”

Knack pointed out most of the mayor’s 15 amendments passed unanimously last year “which suggests to me that through those one-on-one conversations that there did seem to be a general alignment about where folks wanted to go … that felt like it was efficient.”

The 2025 budget, if unchanged, will result in an 8.1 per cent property tax increase.

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@laurby

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