Summary#

The Executive Committee carried a motion recommending that Council receive the Law, Legislative Services and Security Department budget report for the corporate record. This does not approve a new budget or change City services; Council’s decision is still the next step. City staff say the report is meant to improve Council’s understanding of budget trends.

• The report reviews the department’s 2023–2025 financial results and its 2026 budgets.
• The department’s operating budget rose from $58.4 million in 2023 to $72.0 million in 2026. Its 2026 capital budget is $9.2 million.
• The department’s staffing complement grew by 44 full-time-equivalent positions, from 433 in 2023 to 477 in 2026.
• The committee motion, moved by Councillor Kelly, carried 7–0. The materials do not name any members who voted against.

What it means for you#

• Calgarians: The committee’s recommendation does not directly change taxes, fees, eligibility for a benefit, or front-line services. It asks Council to receive a financial overview.
• Council: If Council receives the report, it will be entered into the corporate record. The committee has not approved new spending through this motion.
• City staff: The report describes existing work and budgets, including legal services, elections, security, and insurance. It does not create a new department or program.

Money#

The report gives budget figures but says receiving it has no immediate financial impact.

• The department’s 2026 operating budget is $72.0 million; its 2026 capital budget is $9.2 million.
• Staff report that actual operating expenditure rose from $40.1 million in 2023 to $75.6 million in 2025. The department had a favourable variance of $18.3 million in 2023, a balanced budget in 2024, and an unfavourable variance of $1.8 million in 2025.
• Staff say insurance claims and litigation liabilities were major causes of the year-to-year swings. The report also cites rising insurance premiums, election costs, security demands, and wage costs as pressures.
• The motion itself does not authorize additional funding or staffing.

What is unclear#

• Council has not yet decided whether to receive the report.
• The supplied material refers to detailed budget attachments, but does not include their contents. The breakdown of spending by service, project, or year is therefore unclear.
• The report describes risks to future budgets but does not give a forecast of their likely size.

Case for#

• City staff say the overview supports Council’s oversight of the four-year budget by showing past spending and the reasons for variances.
• Staff identify insurance claims and litigation liabilities as volatile costs, which may help Council understand why results differed across 2023–2025.
• The report also identifies rising security and election costs, staffing changes, and capital projects, giving Council information about pressures on the department.

Case against#

• The report does not, in the supplied material, provide a detailed breakdown of the $72.0 million operating budget or the $9.2 million capital budget. That limits how much the figures alone show about specific services or projects.
• City staff warn that insurance and litigation costs, rising premiums, and salary costs may put pressure on future operating budgets. The report does not quantify that possible pressure.
• Staff also identify delays in procurement, vendor delivery, and technology implementation as risks that could postpone planned capital-project benefits.