CALGARY - A public dispute broke out at Calgary City Hall on Thursday between Mayor Jeromy Farkas and Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston over a leaked preliminary budget document.

Johnston confirmed he released the confidential material. It showed that funding every current spending request would require a 20.2 per cent increase in property tax revenue in 2027 to cover roughly $510 million in additional operating costs. The same unconstrained scenario projected further increases of 8.5 per cent in 2028 and nine per cent in 2029 and 2030.

Johnston said he leaked the documents because he no longer wanted to keep financial information from the public. He also criticized the volume of closed-door discussions at council.

Mayor Farkas rejected the numbers as a planned tax increase. He described them as a “wish list” that simply adds up every department and partner request before council prioritizes spending. No tax increase has been formally proposed or adopted.

Council is scheduled to debate the actual 2027–30 budget in November. The city has said the complete proposed budget will be released in early November and that the leaked figures are not final or approved numbers.

CALGARY - The federal government is putting up to $29 million toward the first phase of a major water infrastructure project in north Calgary, aiming to improve reliability and support the city’s rapid growth.

Corey Hogan, parliamentary secretary to the federal minister of energy and natural resources, joined Mayor Jeromy Farkas on Sept. 1 to announce the funding for the North Calgary Water Servicing project. The initial phase is expected to be complete by early 2027, with the full project targeted for 2029.

The money comes from the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund, a $51-billion federal infrastructure program. The City of Calgary has already committed $94 million to the same project.

Phase one includes construction of a new 22-kilometre water feeder main and upgrades to three facilities: the Top Hill Reservoir, Big Hill East Reservoir, and Mount View Pump Station. A new seven-kilometre section of feeder main will connect the Top Hill and Big Hill East reservoirs, removing existing bottlenecks so water can continue flowing during planned or emergency repairs.

The upgrades will raise the city’s pumping capacity to 30 million litres of water per day, with a particular focus on north Calgary and nearby communities. By the time the full project is finished in 2029, the goal is to reach 100 million litres per day.

The investment follows repeated ruptures of the Bearspaw South feeder main over the past two years, which disrupted water service across the city. Hogan described the funding as a way to strengthen a system that most people only notice when it fails.

“What infrastructure is usually, at its best, invisible infrastructure. We don’t think about it; it just works,” Hogan said. “But as Calgarians, we unfortunately know too well it’s not always mundane — it’s mundane until reliability and availability is challenged.”

Mayor Farkas linked the work to Calgary’s fast growth and the need for infrastructure that can support new housing. The city’s population is estimated at just under 1.7 million and ranks among the fastest-growing in Canada.

“Calgary is growing faster than almost anywhere in the continent, and today our federal government is recognizing that growth and helping us prepare for it,” Farkas said. “Governments need to focus on the things people should be able to count on: You turn on the tap, clean water comes out; you flush the toilet, it works; a new neighbourhood goes up, the water system is ready.”

Acting water utility chief operating officer Michael Thompson noted that steel for the project was sourced from Mexico, avoiding extra costs tied to U.S. tariffs. He also said residents may face temporary outdoor water restrictions in mid-September, depending on the weather. Updates will be posted on the city’s website.

The federal contribution was not part of Calgary’s 2026 budget submission, but Farkas called it critical for a city under pressure from population growth and aging infrastructure.