‘We will be very hard to ignore:’ Edmonton mayor-elect Amarjeet Sohi vows to improve relationship with provincial government through community coalition

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Edmonton Mayor Elect Amarjeet Sohi is calling on the provincial government to step up its support for housing and addictions in the city.

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Meeting with the editorial board of Postmedia Edmonton on Friday afternoon, Sohi said that one of her first tasks will be to fight for a stronger relationship with Prime Minister Jason Kenney and the UCP government by forming a community coalition to advocate for action on the growing problems of the homeless, mental health and opioid crisis.

The mayor-elect said this group of leaders spanning businesses, nonprofits, indigenous leaders and religious groups will be better able to demonstrate the need for action rather than having the council face the fight alone, as it will highlight what Edmonton communities are calling. for, not just for politicians. The coalition, which it hopes to form in the early stages of its leadership, would select five or six top priorities to advocate with the provincial government.

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“If we mobilize the community… I think that way we will be heard and we will be very difficult to ignore,” Sohi said. “I think that approach not only strengthens our position as a community, but also depoliticizes and depolarizes the conversation.”

Sohi said he has already had a productive call with Kenney in which the prime minister invited him to a meeting to discuss these issues after he was sworn in on Tuesday, and Sohi said he will act “as quickly as possible.”

The city’s relationship with the province has been fractured for much of the council’s last term, dating back to the UCP’s 2019 budget that canceled the new City Charter with Edmonton and Calgary that was established to provide infrastructure funding. predictable annuals for the two large cities linked to economic growth.

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Mayor Don Iveson has also been asking for annual funding from the province to operate support services that will be integrated into permanent housing developments and support under construction for those experiencing homelessness. With the five sites to be completed by the end of the year, Sohi said she will continue to push the province for these dollars to ensure that the housing developments can operate.

One option Sohi said he would be considering is reducing the proposal’s risk to the province by agreeing to pay any financial shortfalls if the supportive housing does not end up reducing long-term health and justice costs as predicted. He said he is also interested in asking the province to start reducing the 30 percent educational property tax so the city can use part of that revenue for the initial costs of social services.

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“Can you start getting your share of property taxes back and leave that money with us and can we use that money to meet some of the costs of social services and social programs?” He said. “So there is a way to do it and we need to have that kind of flexibility and see if it works.”

First priorities

After being sworn in, Sohi said her top priority will be tackling a series of hate-motivated attacks in Edmonton over the past year. He promised to present a motion to the council as soon as possible to implement a 100-day anti-hate action plan. City staff have already been working in this area following the recommendations of the Community Safety and Welfare Task Force and Sohi said her action plan will complement the work already underway.

“This is something that I will present ASAP at the earliest opportunity,” he said. “Hate-based violence is number one that I have identified and that we must address immediately.”

Sohi will be sworn in as Edmonton’s 36th mayor on Tuesday.

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