Healthcare is a provincial responsibility, but Edmontonians are forced to fund healthcare costs outside of municipal jurisdiction.

Municipal property taxes are not designed to pay for emergency medical services (EMS), but due to underfunding of this service by the provincial government, the City of Edmonton property-tax supported budget has had to cover these expenses. On March 18, 2024,Edmonton Fire Chief Joe Zatylny provided a report stating that the 70 per cent of the 95,496 calls to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) in 2023 were medically related. Health care in Alberta is the sole responsibility of the provincial government, but Edmonton taxpayers are filling the $28 million gap every year. 

At the request of Alberta Health Services, the City of Edmonton provided a Hygiene Hub (including washrooms, laundry, showers and attendants) to help address the ongoing Shigella outbreak despite health being provincial jurisdiction. In 2023 the City of Edmonton incurred $2.2 million in unfunded costs to respond to the ongoing Shigella outbreak. We are asking the Government of Alberta to deliver this service or fund the City to deliver this service for three years at $2.2 million annually.