Fidel's Vision

City of Edmonton Council Platform: 

Candidate Fidel Ammar’s Vision:  

Edmonton is a dynamic, growing city that deserves to be a safe and thriving place for everyone. This plan focuses on making Edmonton safer, more accountable, and more prosperous for all residents and businesses. The priorities are Public Safety, LRT & Transit (ETS) Security, City department accountability, neighborhood revitalization, and a balanced approach to property and business taxes.

1. Ensuring a Safer Edmonton

– Objective: Increase public safety through a very transparent approach that tackles crime prevention, more visible community policing, and collaboration between city departments and local organizations.

– Community Policing and Presence: Advocate for a greater police presence in high-crime areas while expanding community policing models that build trust between with local communities. The focus should be on creating stronger relationships between EPS officers and neighborhoods, ensuring that residents feel safe reporting crimes and concerns.

– Safe Streets Program: Increase funding for street lighting, public surveillance cameras in community public areas, and community safety watch programs. Work with local groups to expand initiatives like Safe Walk programs for vulnerable populations such as children and seniors.

2. LRT Safety and Security

– Objective: Ensure that Edmonton’s public transit system (ETS) is safe, reliable, and inviting for all users by addressing security concerns in Transit Centers, Buses & LRT.

– Increase Security Personnel: Advocate for Transit police personnel on LRT platforms and trains. These police officers will work closely with Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) and local law enforcement to respond quickly to safety concerns and deploying specialized teams on LRT platforms to assist with individuals experiencing crises, thereby addressing the root causes of many security issues reducing strain on patrol law enforcement and Safety Inspectors.

– Better Lighting and Surveillance: Upgrade the lighting in and around LRT stations and enhance security cameras & help phones with real-time monitoring. This will act as both a deterrent and a method for swiftly addressing incidents.

– Community Engagement: Foster collaboration between transit users, ETS staff, and community organizations to identify areas of concern and implement solutions to improve transit safety.

 3. City Department Accountability

– Objective: Create a transparent, responsive, and accountable city government by improving oversight and management of city departments.

– Citizen Oversight Committees: Establish citizen-led oversight committees to monitor the performance of major city departments, ensuring they are accountable to the public and held to high standards of service. (NO more closed-door meetings)

– Performance Audits: Implement regular, independent performance audits for all city departments. Publish the results publicly and require departments to create action plans for addressing inefficiencies or issues identified in the audits.

– Public Feedback Mechanisms: Introduce accessible and user-friendly platforms for residents and businesses to provide feedback on city services. Ensure that feedback is acted upon in a timely manner, with clear communication about improvements.

4. Neighborhood and Streets Renewal

– Objective: Revitalize Edmonton’s neighbourhoods and streets through focused infrastructure investments that improve the quality of life and community pride.

– Prioritize High-Need Areas: Direct funding to areas most in need of infrastructure renewal, such as older neighborhoods with deteriorating roads, sidewalks, and public spaces. Create a clear, transparent process for determining priorities, involving total community input.

– Complete Streets Initiative: Implement designs that accommodate all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and transit riders. This includes wider sidewalks and improved crosswalk safety.

– Small Business Collaboration: Partner with local businesses to participate in street and neighborhood renewal projects. This collaboration will ensure that commercial districts are vibrant, attractive, and conducive to economic growth.

5. Balanced Residential and Business Property Taxes

– Objective: Create a fair, balanced tax system that supports city services rather than overburdening homeowners and businesses, without jumping to tax increases as an alternative.

– Review of Tax Assessment Practices: Initiate a comprehensive review of how residential and business properties are assessed for tax purposes, ensuring fairness and transparency. Ensure that assessments reflect true market conditions and provide clear explanations of any changes.

– Targeted Relief for Homeowners: Introduce targeted tax relief for low-income homeowners and seniors, ensuring that property taxes do not force residents out of their homes. Implement a tax deferral program for those who are struggling temporarily, with no penalties for late payments. Create transparency around how these funds are spent by publishing easy-to-understand reports for public review.

Conclusion:

By focusing on these key areas, the candidate’s “Safer, Stronger Edmonton” platform aims to ensure a city where residents feel safe, where public services are transparent and accountable, and where neighborhoods and businesses can thrive. This platform is built on collaboration, community input, and a commitment to making Edmonton a better place for all.