Edmonton mayor says 2026 provincial budget leaves infrastructure gaps

Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack welcomed the restoration of municipal grants but said Alberta's 2026 budget still leaves shortfalls for the city's infrastructure needs. Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled an $83.9-billion budget that includes higher education property tax rates and multi-year funding for LRT projects.

Edmonton's mayor, Andrew Knack, said Alberta's 2026 budget restores municipal grants and funds some downtown work but still leaves gaps for the city's infrastructure. He attributed part of the shortfall to consecutive provincial governments not providing enough infrastructure funding. Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled an $83.9-billion budget that the province estimates will finish the year with a $9.4-billion deficit. The budget mixes restored grants with targeted project spending while some formula-driven municipal funding fell because it is tied to provincial revenue. Key points: - Mayor Andrew Knack welcomed the reinstatement of grants in place of taxes and downtown investments but said the budget does not meet Edmonton's broader infrastructure needs. - Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled an $83.9-billion budget and the province estimates a $9.4-billion year-end deficit. - The provincial education property tax rate rises from $2.72 to $2.84 per $1,000 of assessed value, which the article reports equals about $154 more per year for the median Edmonton homeowner. - Grants in place of taxes were restored to 100%, while infrastructure funding in the Local Government Fiscal Framework was reduced by $20 million because its formula is tied to provincial revenue. - The budget names specific allocations including $152 million over three years for downtown and Coliseum site work, $1.3 billion over three years for LRT expansions, funding for post-secondary projects, road projects, and planning money for hospital redevelopment. Summary: Knack described the budget as offering some targeted investments but insufficient to address what he called a growing infrastructure gap after years of rapid population growth. Horner said the province also faces renewal deficits and framed the budget as spreading limited funds to make the most impact. Undetermined at this time.