The City of Calgary's Financial Task Force

The City of Calgary's Financial Task Force

From 2015-2019 assessed values of non-residential properties in the downtown core fell and drove a shift in property tax responsibility to non-residential properties (outside of the downtown). After using short-term solutions Council directed City Administration to create a Task Force to provide a permanent resolution to the municipal tax shift problem.   

The Task Force met regularly from September 2019 to June 2020 and put forward 35 recommendations that were approved by Council in June 2020. 

Task Force Recommendations Report

Our 8 focus areas

The Financial Task Force grouped the 35 recommendations into 8 focus areas

We are currently working to implement the recommendations and will provide our second semi-annual progress report to Committee and Council in December 2021. 

We have made progress on key recommendations within our focus areas to help strengthen The City’s financial system for the benefit of all Calgarians. See below for our progress and visit regularly for updates:

Improving understanding of municipal finance circumstances

Focus #1 combines recommendations 13, 14 and 23:

  • Investigate cost recovery with the province (#13)
  • Ensure funding for new services (#14)
  • Enhance ongoing communications (#23)
Read about the progress

Responding to Calgary’s cyclical economy using existing tools

Focus #2 combines recommendations 1-3, 4, 21, 24, and 30:

  • Use evidence for decisions (#1-3)
  • Respond to Calgary's evolving economy (#4)
  • Leverage untapped revenue potential (#21)
  • Assess the cumulative impact of decisions (#24)
  • Incorporate information from process changes into a review of user fee levies (#30)
Read about the progress

Bringing property taxation into the twenty first century

Focus #3 combines recommendations 11, 12 and 19:

  • Use the guiding principles (#11)
  • Make subclass legislation usable (#12)
  • Distribute tax responsibility appropriately (#19)
Read about the progress

Improving tax efficiency for long-term fiscal sustainability

Focus #4 combines recommendations 10, 25-27, 34 and 35:

  • Focus on long-term fiscal sustainability (#10)
  • Motivate increase in TIPP uptake (#25)
  • Maintain annual assessments to anticipate the evolving economy (#26)
  • High-quality info for the tax rate decision (#27)
  • Explore tax reform over one-time measures (#34)
  • Investigate multi-year property assessment averages to reduce volatility (#35)
Read about the progress

Preparing for changes that would occur as the economy evolves

Focus #5 combines recommendations 5-8, and 22:

  • Manage the transition to the new economy (#5-8)
  • Identify revenue from the new economy (#22)
Read about the progress

Making Calgary more competitive, livable and attractive

Focus #6 combines recommendations 18, 20, 28, 31 and 32:

  • Balance livability and tax competitiveness (#18)
  • Choose tax stability over volatility (#20)
  • Quantify the cost and value of services and distribution of benefits (#28)
  • Affirm preference for tax stability over service stability and respond appropriately (#31)
  • Adjust tax rates for relief when needed and stabilize rates with reserves (#32)
Read about the progress

Supporting regional economic development

Focus #7 combines recommendations 15-17 and 29:

  • Support regional economic development (#15-17)
  • Quantify the cost and value of services and distribution of benefits: incorporate findings into decision-making process for cost sharing arrangements with regional partners (#29) 

Working better with partners in achieving progress

Focus #8 combines recommendations 9 and 33:

  • Advocate for timely legislative change (#9)
  • Investigate the crisis level vacancy in the downtown office market and respond with actions (#33)
Read about the progress

Previous implementation updates

Background

In November 2018, City Council identified the need for a Financial Task Force after changes in the economy, from 2015, resulted in a prolonged decline in demand for downtown office space and a growing supply of inventory that negatively impacted property valuations. This caused a significant redistribution of the tax base that these properties previously carried over to other properties.

Property taxes are the municipal finance backbone and play a vital role in funding the services citizens and businesses receive from The City. To respond to the challenge and support Calgary’s economic recovery and financial resiliency, the Financial Task Force was to identify and assess innovative solutions for short term mitigation, long term recovery solutions, and revenue options to improve financial resiliency for The City.

In addition to assessing the specifics related to the tax shift issue, the Task Force’s mandate included examining potential alternative revenue sources that can improve Calgary’s financial resiliency in the long run. While the Financial Task Force’s scope is broad, specific items were out of the Task Forces’ scope, including:

  • Recommendations targeted at cost control – to avoid duplication with the other initiatives underway, such as the Solutions for Achieving Value and Excellence (SAVE) Program.
  • Recommendations aimed at reforming assessment processes and procedures, which were already underway following Council directed work by Heuristics Consulting.

Financial Task Force members

The Task Force was led by The City’s Chief Financial Officer, Carla Male, CPA-CA as Chair and a consisted of a panel of twelve external members with expertise in policy formulation, business strategy, property valuations and finance.  

Selected external members of The City’s Financial Task Force include:

  • Heidi Conrad, CPA-CA
  • JT Dhoot, AACI, CBV
  • Dave Dunlop, CPA-CA, MBA, CFA
  • Brian Hahn, BSME
  • Sarah Lerner, CFA, MBA
  • Annie MacInnis, MSc (Economics)
  • Dave Mewha
  • Lindsay Tedds, Ph.D. (Economics)
  • Alan Tennant, EMBA, FRI, CAE
  • Rene Wells, Ph.D., (Finance)
  • Nizar Walji, CFA
  • Mike Yuzwa, CPA-CA, CBV

Citizens with substantial experience in policy formulation, business strategy, property valuations and finance submitted an expression of interest in Q3 2019. The individuals listed above were selected based on an application process following a skills matrix that was part of the Terms of Reference (included in Attachment 1).

External members of the Financial Task Force received support from subject matter experts in Administration. 

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