Calgary’s mayor accused of ‘electioneering’ as council approves maintenance funding boost
Global News
Council approved a motion from Calgary's mayor that uses $20 million in surplus funds from Enmax's dividend to support facility maintenance and upgrades.
Calgary city council has approved a multi-million dollar funding boost for maintenance and upgrades at several city facilities, but the timing of the move has drawn the ire of some on council.
The motion, from Mayor Jyoti Gondek, proposed to use $20 million from the 2024 Enmax dividend surplus to support maintenance and upgrades of community spaces and amenities through a city facility management program.
“This dividend was not expected, it will not be repeated next year,” Gondek said at a press conference Wednesday. “So we are using it wisely now to fix the things that need fixing.”
Enmax delivered a $103-million dividend last year, a record high and $46 million more than the city expected.
The mayor’s office provided a list of eight projects that would benefit from the new funding, but noted the list does not contain all projects that are approved to receive repairs or maintenance.
Among those projects are an $8.5 million upgrade to the Prairie Winds Park wading pool, upgrades to Calgary Fire stations, safety upgrades at Queens Park Mausoleum and Bowness wading pool, recreation facility upgrades, and repairs to Shouldice Park after damage from last summer’s Bearspaw feeder main break.
“The projects have already been identified, they have been on a priority list for some time,” Gondek said. “Now that the funds have been allocated, they will get to work on these projects right away.”
The mayor’s motion also earmarks an additional $2.85 million for the Federation of Calgary Communities, and a program to help fund community association and volunteer-driven placemaking projects across the city.
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