As part of the Climate Change Emergency declaration, which I opposed, City Council is debating the Calgary Climate Strategy, which contains actions and initiatives to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The Calgary Climate Strategy is estimated to cost Calgary Taxpayers over $87 Billion, or $3.1 Billion per year, or $175,000 per household.
To pay for these climate initiatives (i.e., Solar Panels, Bike Lanes, Retrofitting Every Building in Calgary, Low Carbon Subsidized Housing, Climate Equity, etc.), a Municipal Climate Tax has been listed as a priority to implement. Examples of a Municipal Climate Tax could be a City Fuel Tax, City Carbon Tax, A fee on your Enmax Bill, or a new Property Tax. Of course, I will be actively opposing any of these proposals.
I do not believe that raising taxes is the way to address climate change. New technology is the way forward and thankfully our private sector and our provincial government is taking a leadership role in advancing new technologies in hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and promoting domestic energy production. I will continue to oppose the $87 Billion Climate Strategy and propose common sense alternatives.
City Council has been dealing with the increase in crime in our city, especially around our LRT stations. City Council passed the Calgary Transit Recovery Strategy which contained numerous safety investments including more Transit Security Guards, Upgraded CCTV system featuring an incident detection system to help with monitoring of C-Train stations and improve dispatch response times, and lighting upgrades. Furthermore, Calgary Transit will be hiring a third-party consultant to investigate the feasibility of implementing a closed turnstile system. I support these measures as they will help reduce crime on the LRT and encourage greater LRT ridership.
Ward 13 – Councillor Dan McLean proudly serves the following Communities: Belmont, Bridlewood, Canyon Meadows, Evergreen, Evergreen Estates, Millrise, Pine Creek, Shawnessy, Silverado, Somerset, Woodbine, Woodlands, Yorkville
