Airdrie Minute: Issue 88

Airdrie Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Airdrie politics

📅 This Week In Airdrie: 📅

• There will be a meeting of City Council on Tuesday at 1:00 pm. Council is being asked to give First Reading to a Borrowing Bylaw that would authorize $98.8 million in debt to fund several major 2026 capital projects, including road upgrades, wastewater infrastructure, and a fire apparatus replacement. Under the Municipal Government Act, borrowing bylaws require two weeks of public advertising followed by a 15-day petition period before Council can proceed to second and third readings. If no petition is submitted, Council will consider final approval on January 20th, 2026. Administration recommends approving First Reading, noting that rejecting the bylaw would delay the projects until another form of financing is secured. The operating costs of the debt were already included in the 2026 budget.
  
  
• Council will be asked to approve a new Non-Market Housing Land Disposition Policy to support affordable housing development in Airdrie. The policy would allow the City to transfer or lease City-owned land to non-profit housing providers at below-market rates, a key strategy identified in the 2024-2030 Affordable Housing Principled Action Plan. Administration notes that discounted land is one of the most effective tools for making non-market housing financially viable, helping keep rents lower while improving access to well-located sites near jobs, schools, and transit. The policy also fulfills commitments under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund and aligns with the City’s broader affordable housing framework. It creates a consistent, transparent process for handling land requests, replacing the current case-by-case approach that is slower and less predictable.
  
  
• Council is being asked to ratify two letters of support for local organizations applying to Healthy Aging Alberta programs. The first supports North Rocky View Community Links for $183,000 over two years through the Social Prescribing for Older Adults Program, which would fund a Link Worker to help older adults access community resources, social programs, transportation, and financial supports. The second supports Volunteer Airdrie Society for $185,000 over two years through the Drive Happiness Program, funding the Airdrie Transportation Program to provide accessible transportation options for older adults.
  
  
• Airdrie City Council has extended the Airdrie Arts and Culture Council’s (AACC) seed funding agreement to January 30th, 2027, giving the organization more time to reach financial sustainability. Council also asked Administration to review how elected officials or staff might be appointed to the AACC Board and report back with recommendations. The AACC was created with up to $110,000 in City support and incorporated as a non-profit in 2024, receiving its first major funding instalment in early 2025 for startup costs like board recruitment, legal work, and hiring an executive director. After spending only part of the initial instalment, the City delayed further payments until more of the first tranche was used. The organization says it needs additional time to stabilize its operations and develop sustainable funding streams. The AACC currently supports local arts through events like the Mayor’s Night of the Arts and is working to grow its programming and membership to better serve the community.
  
  
• Airdrie’s Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) resolution was adopted at the 2025 Alberta Municipalities convention. The resolution, moved by Airdrie and seconded by Fox Creek, calls on the provincial government to amend the Municipal Government Act to allow municipalities to implement accommodation taxes through local bylaws. The tax would generate revenue from visitors rather than residents, helping municipalities fund infrastructure, tourism development, and community marketing. The resolution cites examples from Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Manitoba, which have successfully implemented similar frameworks. As an adopted resolution, it is now active and will be sent to the relevant provincial ministry, which typically responds within one to six months. ABMunis will assign a priority and determine next advocacy steps.
   

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

What do you think of Airdrie's resolution calling for a Municipal Accommodation Tax?

Reply and let us know!

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