The City of Calgary, in Alberta, Canada, has initiated a large-scale public engagement project: Our City. Our Budget. Our Future.

This process will facilitate conversations with residents, employees and the city council to identify priorities for that city’s planning and budget cycle. An Ottawa-based public engagement consulting firm has been hired to assist with the engagement process.

“Today, we have moved one step closer to transforming the way we do our business at the City of Calgary,” said Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “Council is committed to including as many Calgarians as possible in helping us better understand their needs and priorities so that we can make the right decisions today for the Calgary we want for our children and our grandchildren well into the future.”

“Budgets are a reflection of values, priorities and needs, and a tool to deliver services that are important to staff, Council and citizens,” said one consultant hired by the city.

The input received through the process will inform business planning and budgeting for the next three to ten years and will help the City of Calgary understand what must be done to attain a vision for a sustainable future.