Focus on ‘sustainability and predictability’ drove budget talks: Red Deer mayor

Cindy Jefferies on Alberta Primetime Dec 18, 2025

Red Deer Mayor Cindy Jefferies speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about property taxes, the future of the Downtown Business Association, and more in this year-end interview.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Michael Higgins: Budget deliberations brought a proposed property tax increase down from 7.36 per cent, to 3.97 per cent.

What did it take to whittle that figure down?

Cindy Jefferies: There were some compromises, and to be fair, I think administration left us with a little bit of wiggle room. One of the budget lines built into the budget that came from administration proposed a percentage of variance in the salaries and wages line. What council did was take the liberty of paring that down, thinking that historically if we look at the trend, administration has always overestimated that particular budget line. We just shaved a little bit off there and we’ve kept variance allowance that will get us through. But it actually started us off on budget debate with a $4 million decrease.

MH: What does that say about Red Deer’s road forward financially?

CJ: If there’s one thing we heard through the campaign and after last year’s tax increase, which was a double-digit number, we heard the community wants sustainability and predictability. I always have said as a councillor and now as mayor: slow and steady on taxation wins the race. Businesses and citizens need to know a little bit what to expect when we talk about taxes. This council heard that loud and clear, and responded to that.

MH: There have been recent headlines that Red Deer’s Downtown Business Association is potentially ceasing operations in the New Year.

How does that factor into the city’s bigger financial picture?

CJ: The DBA was established in Red Deer in 1983, so they’ve been part of the community for a long, long time and done some fantastic work. Like many downtowns across the country, our downtown has seen businesses move to the outskirts. Retail changes have led to a reduction in shops. Our downtown has been suffering, although I would say it’s coming back up a little bit.

Then the province also has some space downtown in our provincial building. More recently, the province has made the decision not to pay into levies for business improvement areas like the DBA, and that’s where they get part of their levy from. They were faced with that budget cut, as well as a number of businesses leaving the downtown, and it was just not sustainable for them to continue on.

We knew there were some things that needed to change, and hoped there would be ways going forward to sustain them. At this point in time it just doesn’t work for them. It’s sad to see that change coming, but I fully believe that out of this will come a new version of downtown strength and community going forward. We’re sad to see them go, but our downtown will continue to be a vibrant space with some other partners stepping up to help.

MH: One of the issues leading up to the municipal election was tackling the issue of homelessness.

What approach do you see this new council taking on that front?

CJ: I don’t know so much that it’s a new approach. It’s that we’re finally getting to some answers. The last council spent the whole term essentially trying to land a permanent site for a temporary shelter, so a place where people could go in an emergency, or if they’re homeless, hopefully for a shorter stay time. That council went around for four years trying to land where it could go. Who would be the operator, we just didn’t know.

Part of the challenge is the relationship with the province. Obviously the province holds the mandate on those social services. We were trying to as a council find a place for that shelter without knowing who the operator would be and without knowing what services would come from that site. It was very difficult. We looked at over 120 sites and for various reasons those sites were not selected. We went to the province about a year and a half ago and said, could you put out an expression of interest? Call and see who comes forward, who would like to step into that shelter provision space. Just today, the province announced that they have selected Hope Mission to be the operator of our shelter.

The city’s role from here on in will be to zone the land they want to operate on and to set any development permit criteria that need to be applied. We’re moving forward on that front, knowing now who the operator will be. We have to recognize this results in a change of operator for us on the shelter front within the community. Safe Harbor has been operating on a temporary basis, waiting for this kind of decision to come forward for many, many years. So we thank them for the work they’ve done in holding things together for our community as best they can in very uncertain times.