Apathy is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as:
- Lack of feeling or emotion: impassiveness
- Lack of interest or concern: indifference
Some might argue that it is one of the downfalls of living in a democracy and ask the age-old question, “How much difference does my voice actually make?”
Well, there’s only one way to find out and right now there is a perfect opportunity to do so. You may have already heard that the City of Calgary is calling on its citizens to clarify their priorities about City services and how tax dollars should be spent in an initiative called “Our City. Our Budget. Our Future.” If you love Calgary as much as we do and want to see it grow and prosper, we cannot stress enough the importance of engaging in this process and letting your voice be heard.
You’ll also learn a lot about the services the City provided and where tax dollars are being spent. There’s even an opportunity to suggest services you’d rather not see the City provide.
It is the responsibility of the Calgary Downtown Association (CDA), as a Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), to increase the vitality of the downtown for all Calgarians and constantly improve the image of Downtown Calgary. Some of the key areas of service that are most important to the vitality of the downtown would fall into the following categories:
Calgary Police Services
Safety is paramount, and needs to be a top priority at all times
Community and Protective Services
- Emergency services (911 and Fire)
- Graffiti removal and bylaw enforcement
- Recreation (support of arts and culture, community partnerships),
- Parks (maintenance, beautification)
Transportation
- Transit
- Road maintenance, street furniture
- Pedestrian and cycling access/infrastructure
Planning, Development & Assessment
- Continued improvement of the Centre City
- Long term planning
- Appropriate development
Corporate Services
- 311
- Affordable housing
- Heritage building preservation
Please take the time to let the City know what is important to you and help us make our vision of downtown Calgary, as the premiere place for people to live work and play, a reality.
Hard copies of the Budget Kit and the corresponding Discussion Guide Worksheet are available at any City of Calgary Public Library location. Copies and additional information, including info on upcoming info sessions, can be viewed online.
The sooner you can get your feedback in, the better, as there is only a short window in which to do so.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I keep hearing “This is what Calgarians want”. Well, nobody asked me or anybody that I know because I asked them. What we want is a little money left over at the end of the year. We want to go back to the basics. The basics don’t cost an arm and a leg. Every service that is provided cost more and more every year. And more services are heaped upon the pile. Everyone in the world knows that you can’t just keep spending. So, sit down and “cut” spending. And don’t give me “this will hurt”. I am already hurting.
Thank you for your comments Daniel. The City has a number of ways that you can let them know directly what is important to you. You can have your say on the budget here until April 22: http://ourcity-ourbudget-ourfuture.blogspot.com/p/have-your-say-online.html
There is also an online survey about what services are most important to you here: http://www.allourideas.org/calgarycityserviceshttp://ourcity-ourbudget-ourfuture.blogspot.com/
Citizens can also download the Calgary Business Plan & Budget app for free from iTunes.
This week there are a number of community forums taking place. More info can be found here under the heading Phase II: http://ourcity-ourbudget-ourfuture.blogspot.com/p/event-descriptions.html
General info on the whole process can also be found here: http://www.calgary.ca/ourfuture