March 2025 Mayor's Column

Layers in the morning and windows down in the afternoon – welcome to March and spring in Lethbridge.

The first topic I want to address this month is the wonderful recent news from the Lethbridge Police Service that crime in our city decreased by 16 per cent in 2024. This results in an 18 per cent reduction in the city’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) – something that has been unfairly criticized considering we have had an overall downward trend for the past five years.

Here are some of the stats:

• Break and enters decreased 35 per cent 
• Mischief dropped 24 per cent
• Theft from motor vehicles decreased 35 per cent
• Theft of motor vehicles decreased 25 per cent
• Assault decreased 12 per cent
• Sexual assault dropped 38 per cent
• Robbery decreased 15 per cent 

I want to thank Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh and every member of LPS for the ongoing efforts to keep our community safe. The reduction in crime is encouraging, but police are keenly aware of challenges impacting the community and will remain vigilant in both proactive and targeted enforcement efforts to address crime and social disorder. Read the recent full news release from LPS here.

City Administration and City Council were pleased to recently learn about a specific area of the 2025 Alberta Budget: the restoration of Grants in Place of Taxes (GIPOT). 

For those unaware, properties belonging to the Government of Alberta are exempt from municipal taxation. To account for this, municipalities are paid a GIPOT on eligible properties within their boundaries. In 2019-20, the Government of Alberta implemented a policy change whereby funding to municipalities for services to Provincial properties would be cut to 50 per cent of the eligible property tax amount. This had an adverse impact on communities whose property owners were forced to cover the bill, while Albertans in other communities still benefited from Provincial facilities such as hospitals, schools and courthouses.  

Starting in 2025-26, GIPOT funding will be paid to municipalities at 75 per cent of the property tax amount that would be owed. Next year it will increase to 100 per cent. The restoration of full GIPOT funding will help mitigate tax pressure on future operating budgets and will increase the City’s revenues by approximately $290,000 in 2025 and $585,000 in 2026 based on our 2024 provincial properties. From 2018 to 2024, Lethbridge’s GIPOT funding was cut from $1.2 million to $586,000, a reduction of nearly 50 per cent across five years. That decrease resulted in taxation pressure of more than $500,000 annually.  

As I mentioned in my State of the City address earlier this year, Lethbridge has the highest percentage of tax-exempt Provincial properties in the province. We are at about 18 per cent, compared to between 10 and 12 per cent for most of the rest of Alberta. Of course, we are proud to have quality schools, post-secondary institutions, and other provincial facilities in our city. They help make Lethbridge a service hub for southern Alberta, and so the GIPOT funding restoration is great news. Read our full release here.

City Council recently approved a move to save more than $1.4 million in loan interest for our Materials Recycling Facility.

Starting April 1, the Government of Alberta’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program will put the cost of recycling printed paper and packaging back on the producers. This means the companies that produce your favourite foods, beverages, household items and more will now be responsible for the cost of recycling the packaging of their products. The EPR program will be pushed out to every residential recycling program across Alberta, like in other provinces such as British Columbia and Ontario.

The provincial oversight body, Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA), has appointed Circular Materials, the only producer responsibility organization, to deliver the recycling program for communities across the province. The City has been working closely with Circular Materials to secure contracts that will allow for residents to receive the same curbside collection and depot processing services they currently receive. 

The Materials Recycling Facility debt will be paid off by using funds set aside for the Waste & Environment Department’s future Asset Lifecycle Funding, meaning residents will not see an increase to their utility rates. In December last year, City Council approved the recommendation from Administration which will reduce residential utility bills by $7-$9 per month, based on the type of recycling collection service residents receive. The full impact of the EPR program will be assessed as negotiations progress and more information becomes available. Read the full background here.

Council was recently provided an update from Administration on the limited funding available in next Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Although the next CIP won’t be decided until late 2026, work is already underway to prepare projects for Council’s consideration. The CIP supports major capital needs, outside of day-to-day City operations. The majority of CIP funding comes from Provincial and Federal grants, some of which have recently been reduced.

We know there are already many, many more projects than there is funding. We want to be upfront with our residents and our community partners about this reality. Based on what we know today, the next City Council will be extremely limited in the CIP projects they can approve. To help prioritized projects for the next CIP, Administration has recommended a focus be put on maintaining current assets rather than building new infrastructure. Read more background here.

Thanks to the organizers and participants at the recent International Peace Powwow at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. If you’ve never been to one, I highly recommend attending a Powwow to immerse yourself in a vibrant celebration of Indigenous culture.

Congratulations to the organizers of the recent Ag Expo and Southern Alberta Home, Garden and Leisure Show at the Lethbridge and District Exhibition’s Agri-food Hub and Trade Centre. 

March 11 was 311 day! Since launching in 2019, Lethbridge 311 has taken nearly 650,000 calls from the community. Residents are encouraged to contact 311 for the most up-to-date information regarding City services, ongoing events and service availability. 

Good luck to all those set to participate in the upcoming Moonlight Run!

April 7 is Green Shirt Day. Join us for a free skate that day from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Logan Boulet Arena.

Following the tragic crash, Logan Boulet’s organ donation saved lives and his inspiring legacy will continue to save lives. I commend his parents, Toby and Bernie (who I recently presented with King Charles III Coronation Medals), and sister Mariko, for continuing efforts to promote Green Shirt Day. I am pleased that my colleagues on Lethbridge City Council have supported my resolutions, first in 2019 to rename Adams Park Ice Centre to Logan Boulet Arena, then each year since 2021 to declare April 7 as Green Shirt Day. I want to keep bringing this item to Council annually (as I will again next week), rather than as a one-time declaration, to continually highlight Logan’s impact.

As always, please be safe and kind to one another.