Edmonton city council calls the proposed city 4-year budget a solid foundation

Edmonton's next four-year budget has been proposed and there are differing opinions on council about how this money should be spent. But for the Mayor Andrew Nagy, this budget is the foundation for the future of the city. It's economic development, it's growth management, it's safety, it's quality services. You're going to hear me say that a lot because that is what this next four-year budget needs to focus on. And that economic development is a high priority among other council members. We need to really correct the ratio of our... Our industrial tax base and our residential tax base to truly see affordability in action and it affecting people's pocketbooks in a positive way. But what is the proposed tax hike? City administration is recommending property tax increases between 3.9 and 4.9% in each of the next four years. Those numbers are being closely examined. If there's a way to kind of... Find some efficiencies and bring that down to a more manageable number that sort of lines up with inflation. I think that's something that people can get behind. But Clark says he's pleased to see money going towards widening three arterial roads, including Winterburn Road. You have to do some things and have to do some growth. And I think we are being pretty deliberate on where the needs are. But not all councillors agree with spending money on new road infrastructure. I would have rather seen arterial road renewal as a primary allocation of that funding. The city administration will present the budgets to council on November 23rd. Council will then debate and approve them in the coming weeks. Nicole Healy, CBC News, Edmonton.