• Twenty-seven candidates respond to the CTF’s six questions

Click here for the Calgary candidate survey.

CALGARY, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) released the results of its Edmonton mayoral and aldermanic election survey. Three mayoral candidates and 24 of aldermanic candidates responded. (Photo Edmonton City Council: Wikipeida)

The full results of the survey can be found HERE.

Candidates were asked six short questions to help inform CTF supporters and the broader public.

• All candidates except for one commit to posting their expenses online with receipts.
• 67% of candidates commit to limiting property taxes to the rate of inflation (CPI) with 26% opposed and 7% unclear.
• 48% of candidates commit to limiting city employee raises to the rate of inflation (CPI) with 44% opposed and 7% unclear.
• All candidates except for one oppose additional funds for the professional NHL arena.
• All candidates claim to have accepted no donations from Daryl Katz or his related businesses, with one candidates unclear in their answer.
• 85% of candidates commit to disclose if they have received donations from unions doing business with the city before election day, with 15% unwilling.

“We’re particularly pleased with how many candidates committed to posting council expenses,” said CTF Alberta Director Derek Fildebrandt. “We’ve been fighting with the City to get this data through FOIP, and if the results of this survey are any indication, we should be seeing some positive change after the election.”

“When it comes to holding the line on tax increases and pay hikes for government employees to the rate of inflation, we see markedly different views from the candidates. It’s really going to depend on who is elected,” continued Fildebrandt.

“Getting a straight ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions from politicians is like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall.” Fildebrandt concluded, “We have done our best to allow candidates to express themselves accurately within the confines of a broad survey. Overall, I think most candidates were able to do that.”

The full results of the survey can be found here: LINK

Highlights:

Kerry Diotte would not disclose pre-election if he had received donations from unions doing business with the city and was unclear in his answer on limiting government employee raises to the rate of inflation, but committed to post his expenses online, limit property taxes to the rate of inflation and oppose additional funding for the NHL arena.

Don Iveson also committed to post his expenses online but was unclear in his position on further funding for the NHL arena. He opposed limiting property tax hikes and government employee raises to the rate of inflation, but stated that he did not and would not accept donations from any Katz-related business.

Dave Loken was the only candidate who completed the survey that would not commit to making his expense claims public. Loken faced controversy in early October when a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the CTF for his expense claims was effectively blocked by the city. Loken was also opposed to limiting property tax hikes and employee raises to the rate of inflation.

Tony Caterina committed to make his expenses public and oppose further NHL arena funding. He was unclear on his stance on holding property tax increases to the rate of inflation. He would not disclose if he received donations from unions doing business with the city and would not commit to limiting city employee raises to the rate of inflation.

The full results of the survey can be found HERE.