Our Vision A St. Albert where all can afford to live:   Taxes are affordable AND Municipal spending is in the best interest of the majority of taxpayers rather than special interest groups. Your Membership is Your VOICE Did You Know That: From 2002 to 2009; Total spending on City operations increased 92% to $121 million Staff levels increased over 53% to 536 permanent positions Total salaries increased 109% to $52 million Cost of contract services increased 123% to $20 million City debt obligations increased 302% to $71 million Future interest costs increased 270% to $29 million To cover these increases the City increased revenues from  residential and non-residential property taxes by almost 92%!  At the same time;  St. Albert’s population grew by only 11%, and The number of dwellings increased by only 3.3% St. Albert City spending is outpacing growth and is getting out of  control! Growth in City spending since 2002 is unsustainable!  St. Albert Taxpayers Association wants Council and the Administration to: Take steps to slow runaway growth in spending on City operations Identify and prioritize “must-have” spending initiatives, and focus future spending on core needs Eliminate spending on “nice-to-have” projects until taxpayers can absorb the additional tax burden Ensure new discretionary capital projects are economically feasible without taxpayer subsidies Improve project management methods and cost controls to eliminate project cost over-runs Consult with residents on their vision of St. Albert before launching new initiatives Acknowledge and capitalize on St. Albert’s proximity to Edmonton and area attractions, and don't develop projects and programs that compete with them Require developers to pay up front infrastructure costs Accept that the taxpayers' pockets are empty!  Next Meeting   7:30 pm, Tuesday April 24, 2012 Community League Hall 17 Perron Street We look forward to seeing you! What’s New? Our Current Newsletter You can check out all previous editions on our Recent News Page