VISION FOR A WORLD CLASS CITY Calgary’s recovery will depend on decisions we make today. What must those decisions be? 1 Calgary has been hit by a triple whammy in recent years. It’s been a tough stretch. Fortunately, we are good at pulling up our bootstraps and getting back at it. The world is changing. We have an ideal opportunity today to get in front of that change; to secure the future for our kids and grandkids. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Other cities have already done it. Take a look at Austin. Denver. Miami. Pittsburgh. They have lessons for Calgary. Some of those lessons are in these pages. Brad’s plan includes: Expanding current industries: • Supporting Alberta’s energy sector which is diversifying and meeting the demands of a carbon-restrained world • Transforming transportation and logistics - for which Calgary is ideally suited - to the new world of online shopping and fulfillment • Expanding our current foundations in film, video, animation and entertainment Attracting new industries: • Finance and data management technologies • Commercializing high tech ideas and inventions already being developed in Calgary Business, Conventions, Trade Shows & Tourism • World class facilities to host events • Easy and efficient transportation from the airport to downtown and the mountains • A vibrant arts, entertainment and sports scene that makes Calgary a destination city Quality of Life • Be the city that attracts knowledge-based people and industries that could choose to locate anywhere in the world, and choose here • Be the city where young people choose to live and work and raise their families 2 Table of Contents Step by Step: The Plan Priority Based Budgeting Page 4 Budgeting Based on Citizen Priorities Page 5 A Virtual Community Engagement Hub Page 6 Reasonable Taxation, Efficient Operations Page 7 Revitalizing Downtown Page 8 Rekindle Downtown’s Entrepreneurial Vitality Page 9 Clean to the Core Page 10 A Destination City Page 11 Downtown Co-op Program Page 12 Canada’s Music and Entertainment City Page 13 Downtown Accessibility Page 14 An Airport Train Page 15 Sustainability: A 21st Century City Page 16 Accountability Page 17 A Compassionate City Page 18 Housing First Page 19 Quality of Life Page 20 What Comes Next? Page 21 Contact Information Page 22 Photo credits - Photos of Brad: Jon Yee; Page 4, Jon Tyson; Page 6: christina@wocintechchat; Page 7: Azin Ghaffari/PostMedia; Page 8: Asweseeit.ca; Page 10: Priscilla Du Preez; Page 12: City of Calgary rendering of new BMO centre; Page 13: Unsplash unattributed; Page 14: Calgary Fringe Festival; Page 15: Max Bender; Page 16: Calgary Airport Authority; Page 17: CTV; Page 18: Elyssa Fahndrich; Page 19: Global News; Page 21: Eliott Reyna. 3 VISION: Priority Based Budgeting Starting at the foundation with smart spending Governments tend to focus most of their efforts at achieving economic recovery by spending billions of our dollars on programs and incentives they hope will kick start the economy. While some stimulus spending is prudent, the inability for government to spend within its means will result in more money coming out of our jeans in the way of taxes. Brad will strive to empower city staff to provide excellent front-line services to citizens at a reasonable cost to taxpayers. This starts with new thinking to change the way the city budgets based on successful strategies tested by other cities. Priority Based Budgeting f The way we currently budget makes it businesses and the City more predictable and impossible to determine which programs stable tax revenue and expenses. and services truly create better results for f Rather than using the previous year’s budget Calgarians. to determine how much money is needed, it f We cannot continue to keep doing things the first identifies the amount of money available same way with budgeting - or any other city to fund operations and capital expenditures. program or service - and expect different f Then, through a modern 21st Century way results. to engage with citizens, a better consensus f Brad wants to change this to drive better between Calgarians and Council is achieved services and outcomes for citizens through on the programs and services that need to be transparency, accountability, and better funded using limited taxpayer dollars. engagement with citizens. f In Brad’s first 100 days as mayor, he will ask f To do this, Brad will implement Priority Based administration to begin implementing this Budgeting. new way to budget for the benefit of all Calgarians. f Priority Based Budgeting works. It’s being used in more than 200 North American cities. f His vision is to transform the culture at City Hall by engaging with citizens to help set f It has proven to be effective in setting priorities, then empowering city staff to priorities and expectations for what can be efficiently deliver those programs within the accomplished, because it gives citizens, available resources. 4 VISION: Budgeting Based on Citizen Priorities Brad will reach out to taxpayers rather than reaching in to their pockets, advocating for a better way to budget based on the real priorities of citizens and communities. f Today’s way of budgeting where individual and capital expenditures, by determining a departments come forward with competing reasonable level of taxation. funding asks –with last year’s budget serving f We fund first those activities that support the as the basis for the following year’s budget end results Calgarians expect. City staff are – makes it impossible to determine which empowered to deliver programs based on the programs and services are truly effective at outcomes and budgets. creating better outcomes for Calgarians. f PBB gives citizens and businesses more f Modelled after new and successful Priority predictable tax obligations and the City more Based Budgeting systems now being employed stable tax revenue. in more than 200 North American cities, Brad will change to a Priority Based Budgeting f Example: Much like Calgary, in 2008 Baltimore faced system to enable a stronger coalition between decreasing tax revenue due to a recession. They citizens and Council. implemented the Advanced Outcome Budgeting System in 2010 to focus resources on the most f Instead of identifying the resources needed effective services to meet citizens’ priority needs, or wanted for the next fiscal year, it first resulting in improved outcomes for residents. They identifies the amount of resources available focused on aligning resources with results. to fund operations, one-time initiatives Transform City Hall Culture Brad will lead the charge for a change of attitude The way Council engages with Calgarians is at City Hall, and champion key metrics that counterproductive to meaningful consultation citizens should expect from their services. and input. This must change to enable Priority Based Budgeting and be a catalyst for managing We have seen too many examples of poorly- meaningful engagement across city departments. contrived citizen engagement that has outraged Calgarians and sent many well-meaning programs Instead of Council coming to Calgarians for a back to the drawing board. rubber stamp on what they think are the key priorities of the city, Brad will advocate for much That’s because of the lack of leadership. earlier citizen input to enable citizens to build the city’s budgeting process from the ground up. 5 VISION: A Virtual Community Engagement Hub Within the first 100 days of taking office, Brad will ask administration to develop a Virtual Community Engagement Hub to better engage with citizens. f Difficult decisions will be required by the next options for presentation to Council. The City Council. To deal with shifting tax revenues, can provide instant feedback on issues as they the City must heavily engage citizens using happen. Ultimately, it is Council that votes; 21st Century tools in order to get results that but this process is much more transparent, are needed to govern collaboratively and including being clear when Council votes in respectfully. opposition to what the public identified. f By engaging in new ways for the 21st century, f This kind of instant ongoing feedback would Council will gain better feedback, increase supplant any expensive or divisive plebiscites engagement in communities, and incentivize and referendums; as well as situations where citizens to be involved in their community. time delays hide the outcomes of Council votes compared to citizen input. f Implementing a Virtual Community Engagement Hub will support the engagement f Because this would be one of the first of its needed to shift to Priority Based Budgeting and kind for a major city in Canada, it would be a the way the City provides value to its citizens. natural draw for technology companies, and help to solidify Calgary’s reputation as an f Using on-line technology, an engagement hub entrepreneurial, innovative and technology would enable citizens to communicate directly driven city for the 21st Century. with administration to better inform the 6 VISION: Reasonable Taxation, Efficient Operations Calgarians don’t want a free ride, but they do want good services at a reasonable cost for their investment in this city. They want efficient, streamlined operations to keep costs in check. f We can’t keep looking to the citizens and senior bureaucrats are making life extremely businesses of Calgary to pick up the tab for difficult for established businesses trying poor operations. to survive, rebuild or expand, like the now infamous Dairy Queen fiasco. f You can’t tax a business that has closed its doors. And we can’t keep asking households f Brad believes that City Councillors and top to cut their spending in other areas just to pay bureaucrats themselves can often be at blame more to the tax and fee collector.