“‘I don’t blame Calgarians for reaching out to us and taking it personally right now that we see a little bit more money on our paycheques and they don’t,’ said Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp. Sharp added that she, like some other councillors, would be donating the incremental pay raise to a local organization.”
“Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp said there’s still time to tinker around with the city budget. It’s not finalized until March, she said. Further, she said that given direction, administration could find ways to pare things back without affecting affordability. ‘Administration can push off what they may not need at this moment, and still be able to deliver on our top two priorities, which were affordability for Calgarians and public safety,’ Sharp said. She felt as though 10 cost-cutting amendments put forward during the budget deliberations in November got no consideration and little debate. ‘It was like there was already a predetermined outcome that we were moving forward on what they called investments. Now, the six of us got back together, the ones that didn’t vote for the overall budget and said, you know, there’s got to be an opportunity here to look at something to do for Calgarians in general, before we head into mid-cycle.’”
“At Tuesday’s council meeting, Coun. Sharp amended the motion to direct city administration to recommend one-time operating and capital budget adjustments to reduce the 2024 budget by $23 million.” // “Wong and Sharp said they’ve heard from constituents that the property tax increase is too burdensome during a cost of living crisis. ‘Most people’s finances are strained right now. An eight per cent increase is extremely tone deaf,’ Sharp said. ‘This also means next year’s tax increase will be 5.5 (per cent).’ Sharp later added council and administration need to be more flexible with the budget. ‘We have room for $23 million. If we cannot find $23 million in a $5 billion budget, we may be doing something wrong,’ Sharp said.” // “Sharp told reporters following the meeting she felt Gondek’s motion was a ‘political play to save face.’”
“Councillor Sonya Sharp said a surplus is better than a deficit, but that she isn't happy with the size of the number. ‘It's disappointing to see that amount of surplus being brought forward after we see our taxes get increased 8.6 per cent,’ said Sharp. ‘So what frustrates me is the fact that we aren't budgeting properly.’
Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp said that having two months provides a runway for difficult conversations.
“I think what I look forward to in the next two months is working with my constituents and Calgarians and focusing on the things they really want us to invest in now,” she said.
Coun. Sonya Sharp hosted dozens of Ward 1 residents Wednesday evening to get their take on priorities for mid-cycle Calgary budget deliberations coming up in November.
"I know that there will be members of council bringing things forward that may add to the budget, but I'll be bringing things forward that will reduce the budget," said the Ward 1 councillor.
Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp said it’s an election year – and anything’s possible. She thinks they can cut the property tax increase in half – or at least keep it under two per cent.
Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp details why she believes more savings can be found to reduce the property tax increase facing Calgarians as city council prepares to debate the budget.
"The reserves will run dry and guess what happens when reserves run dry? You have to increase taxes. So what are we doing? Setting everybody up for failure in the next budget cycle," said Coun. Sonya Sharp, the ward 1 representative.
‘We went shopping before we looked at what’s in the bank account,’ Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp said. ‘We’re going to have to figure out how to pay for all of this if we want to move forward with all those 30 items.’”
Sonya Sharp, one of the councillors who voted to keep the status quo last February - contending it wasn't the right time to redistribute taxes - noted Thursday that for every one percentage point that's shifted off of non-residential properties, it translates into a two per cent tax hike for homeowners.
“Coun. Sonya Sharp said she thinks city administration didn't take enough initiative to cut down on priorities. She added that if the proposed budget went to a vote in its current form, she would vote against it. ‘When we talk about an increase of $16 a month, that's a lunch or coffee or food for your kids. So there are going to be some difficult conversations to have in the next two weeks,’ the Ward 1 councillor said. She said a 3.4 per cent increase is what Calgarians were told, and it's the number she wants to stick with.”
