Your councillors are already spending for next year
Good morning, Edmonton. Darren Fedoruk here, trying to locate my coffee in this swirling vortex of paperwork that is City Hall. Honestly though, sometimes it feels like watching the River Valley slowly thaw – a lot of movement, not always clear what it means.
What stood out to me from the latest civic data dump is that your councillors are already booking their tickets and rooms for next year's conventions. According to the latest council expenses, Councillor Clarke and Councillor Elliott have both spent $825.88 each on accommodation for the 2025 Alberta Municipalities Convention in Calgary, running from November 12-14, 2025. Councillor Clarke also put down $685.00 for the registration, while Councillor Elliott spent an additional $348.00 on food and incidentals.
* Councillor Clarke: $825.88 (accommodation) and $685.00 (registration) for the 2025 Alberta Municipalities Convention. * Councillor Elliott: $825.88 (accommodation) and $348.00 (food and incidentals) for the same event.
It’s an interesting peek into how budgets are allocated and how far in advance some of these plans are made. After all, if you don't book early, you're looking at a motel out by the ring road, and nobody wants that. It's a reminder that even the mundane details of governance are happening year-round, not just when the cameras are on.
What to watch for: We’ll see if other councillors follow suit with early bookings in the coming months, and what kind of returns Edmonton expects from these investments in professional development. Edmonton doesn't need your approval. Never did.
Darren Fedoruk, MiTL Sports Desk, deepnorth_yeg.
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