For City Council
JUSTIN THOMAS
Ward Métis
If elected, my focus will be on prioritizing the needs of our community, reducing unnecessary spending, ensuring our neighborhoods are safe and secure, and advocating for policies that reflect our shared values.
I am committed to listening to you, working alongside you, and making sure your concerns shape the decisions that impact all of us.
If you'd like to discuss any of my platform topics or have other questions for me, please contact me.
Safety is the foundation of a thriving city, yet we’ve all seen a troubling decline in security across our neighborhoods. Crime rates are rising, public spaces feel less safe, and too many families and businesses are dealing with the consequences of poor policy decisions.
For years, city council has made choices that have contributed to this growing problem—pushing to defund the police, weakening enforcement, and even attempting to legalize hard drugs. When council repealed the loitering bylaw, our public transit system became an unsafe shelter rather than a reliable service. Many residents no longer feel comfortable using transit, and businesses struggle with rising theft and disorder.
Council’s past request to Health Canada to legalize drugs sent the wrong message—one that signaled to drug dealers and users that Edmonton was open for business. Even though that request failed, the damage was done. Open-air drug use has skyrocketed, with minimal consequences. Did you know that using hard drugs in public only results in a $25 fine? This lack of enforcement has left our streets, transit stations, and public spaces in crisis.
Meanwhile, police officers are being discouraged from doing their jobs. With low morale and increasing political interference, it’s no wonder crime continues to rise. Why would officers risk their careers to enforce the law when elected officials fail to support them?
It’s time for action. We need a municipal government that will:
✅ Support law enforcement—ensuring they have the tools and backing to protect our communities.
✅ Reverse harmful policies—advocating for federal reforms to strengthen bail laws and sentencing for violent offenders
✅ Restore accountability—enforcing bylaws that keep our streets and transit safe for law- abiding residents.
Edmontonians deserve a city where families, workers, and businesses can feel secure. We need leaders who stand up for the working class, prioritize safety, and take real action to restore order in our communities.
Year after year, homeowners are being squeezed by relentless property tax increases, all while the city continues to mismanage its budget. In each of the last three years, property taxes have climbed at an alarming rate, and if nothing changes, they will continue to rise. The problem isn’t that the city lacks revenue—it’s that it has a spending problem.
We’ve seen firsthand how wasteful spending drives up taxes. Take, for example, the fire hall built in Edmonton at three times the cost of a nearly identical one in Leduc. Or the bloated city workforce, where supervisory positions have grown disproportionately compared to non- supervisory roles, despite a 2020 recommendation from the city auditor to cut excess layers and reduce costs.
Then there’s the issue of poor financial oversight. In 2023, a city audit revealed that $181 million in subsidies and $15 million in grants were distributed with little to no accountability. The same issue was flagged in 2021, yet nothing has changed. Many departments fail to track whether these funds achieve their intended purpose, and in some cases, there’s no clear justification for why certain recipients were chosen. Edmonton taxpayers deserve transparency in how their money is spent.
Additionally, the city continues to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to outside consultants. Between 2018 and 2019 alone, the city spent approximately $269 million on consultants—this after a 2018 audit revealed that $616 million had been spent over the previous five years. Instead of using internal expertise or eliminating unnecessary contracts, the city has been recklessly outsourcing work at an enormous cost to taxpayers. This spending needs to be scrutinized and reined in.
Meanwhile, the city’s $7.91 billion capital budget continues to fund ambitious projects, including multiple LRT expansions, recreation centers, and the Blatchford project—all while past projects suffer from delays and cost overruns. Before taking on new projects, the city should focus on completing existing ones on time and on budget.
It’s time to get spending under control before burdening taxpayers with another increase. As your city councilor, I will push for:
✅ A property tax freeze—forcing the city to reallocate funds instead of continuously raising taxes.
✅ A full spending audit—identifying and cutting wasteful expenditures, including unnecessary consulting fees.
✅ Stronger financial accountability—ensuring subsidies and grants are properly tracked and actually benefit Edmontonians.
✅ A slowdown on capital projects—focusing on finishing what’s already started before taking on more.
The working class should not be taxed into poverty because of reckless spending. Edmonton needs leaders who will fight for responsible budgeting and put taxpayers first.Neighborhood renewal should enhance communities, not burden them with costly, impractical designs that fail to meet residents' needs. Too often, decisions are made without meaningful public consultation, leaving homeowners frustrated with changes that disrupt daily life rather than improve it.
A prime example is the recent Ottewell renewal project, where some areas received sidewalks three times wider than before, reducing valuable street parking for homeowners. The city claims these designs are necessary for safety, but residents never raised concerns under the previous layout. If safety was never an issue, why are we spending millions on unnecessary redesigns?
The reality is that many of these projects come with massive price tags—some exceeding $80 million—while offering little real benefit to the people who live there. Planners and designers, who often do not live in the affected areas, create grand, one-size-fits-all plans that prioritize aesthetics over function. Instead of practical upgrades, we see narrower roads, fewer parking spaces, and increased congestion—all at the taxpayers' expense.
The biggest issue is the lack of direct community input. While the city may claim to conduct consultations, these are often limited, poorly advertised, or fail to reflect residents' actual concerns. Decisions that reshape neighborhoods must be made with the people who live there—not for them.
As your city councilor, I will push for:
✅ Mandatory, in-person community engagement before any neighborhood renewal project is
finalized.
✅ A spending review on current renewal projects to ensure taxpayer dollars are used
efficiently.
✅ Practical, community-driven designs that prioritize local needs over costly, impractical
aesthetics.
Neighborhood renewal should improve quality of life, not create frustration. It’s time for a city government that listens to the people before spending their money.Edmontonians expect their city to focus on delivering the essential services we rely on daily—not overstepping into costly, ideological projects that fail to deliver real results. The city needs to stay in its lane and prioritize what truly matters to residents.
Instead, we see council declaring a climate emergency and committing billions of taxpayer dollars to initiatives that show little to no tangible improvement—all while core services suffer. Homeowners aren’t asking for grand political statements; we’re asking for the basics:
✅ Roads properly cleared and sanded in the winter, just like in neighboring communities.
✅ Parks maintained, mowed, and kept weed-free so families can enjoy public spaces.✅ Reliable weekly garbage collection without delays or unnecessary complications.
✅ An end to unnecessary restrictions—like forced fees for takeout bags or a ban on plastic straws—while politicians waste taxpayer money on unnecessary travel. In 2023 alone, Edmonton City Council spent $16,000 on travel to the Calgary Stampede—a trip that did nothing to improve essential services for Edmontonians.The city’s role is not to police our day-to-day lives—it’s to provide efficient, reliable services that keep our communities running. As your city councilor, I will work to re-focus city hall on its core responsibilities and ensure your tax dollars go toward the services that matter most.
It’s time for a city council that prioritizes your needs over political posturing. Let’s get back to the basics.
Edmontonians have seen firsthand the rapid deterioration of our city, particularly since 2021, due to poor policies and a failed approach to homelessness. As a frontline worker for the past 12 years, I’ve witnessed the reality of this crisis and understand that a one-size-fits-all solution simply does not work.
Homelessness is not a single issue—it is made up of distinct groups with different needs:
1️⃣ Those who have fallen on hard times due to job loss, financial hardship, or personal struggles. With the right support, they can get back on their feet and rejoin the workforce.
2️⃣ Chronic homeless individuals who prefer to live outside societal norms, often struggling with addiction but generally avoiding crime.
3️⃣ Severely addicted individuals who are in a downward spiral, rejecting help and often resorting to crime to feed their addiction. These individuals pose a danger to public safety.
4️⃣ Criminal elements who exploit homelessness—drug dealers, traffickers, and enablers who profit off addiction and crime, making the situation worse.
Yet, instead of tackling these groups with targeted solutions, city council continues to throw taxpayer money at the problem with no accountability. In 2023 alone, the city spent nearly $90 million to “end homelessness”—but has anything improved? Crime is worse, encampments have multiplied, and communities feel less safe than ever.
The city’s "Housing First" approach is failing. Violent criminals who commit crimes should not be placed directly into communities—they need jail time, treatment, and rehabilitation before reintegration to ensure the safety of the public.
A Real Plan for Change:
✅ A multi-layered approach that separates those who need a second chance from those who pose a risk.
✅ Accountability for organizations receiving funding—every dollar spent must be tracked with measurable results.
✅ Community oversight of agencies and programs to ensure transparency and prevent misuse of taxpayer money.
✅ Enforcement against criminals—dealers, traffickers, and those exploiting the vulnerable must be removed from our streets.
The working class cannot continue to foot the bill for policies that make neighborhoods less safe. It’s time for a real, results-driven plan that puts communities first.
The City of Edmonton has decided to reshape our neighborhoods without our approval under the guise of “affordability.” Mayor Sohi claims that blanket rezoning will reduce “unnecessary red tape” for affordable and senior housing developers. But where is the proof that this bylaw will actually make housing more affordable for working-class Edmontonians?
Let’s talk about how “affordable” these infills, duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes really are. A new infill in an established neighborhood costs around $800,000, while a duplex runs well over $600,000. Developers stand to make massive profits by replacing a $400,000 corner lot with a multi-million-dollar development, selling each unit at a premium while the city collects higher property taxes. Meanwhile, the everyday working-class family is priced out of their own communities.
Who benefits from this rezoning? It’s certainly not seniors, nor is it low-income families. The only ones profiting are developers and the city, which cashes in on higher tax revenue without improving services. Councillor Salvador calls this bylaw a “massive improvement”, but what exactly is improving? There is no commitment to upgrading sewer and electrical infrastructure, no additional parking solutions, and no plan to manage the traffic congestion that comes with higher density.
Councillor Salvador also states that “imperfect action is better than inaction.” But whose imperfect action? Her flawed decisions are costing homeowners their property values, their privacy, and their say in their own communities. This policy was forced onto communities without proper consultation, and homeowners are expected to deal with the consequences.
A fourplex next door could mean:
🚗 More street congestion and lost parking – many of these developments have tiny garages that barely fit a small car.
🌱 Loss of sunlight and privacy – your backyard could be overshadowed by a three-story unit towering over your property.
💧 Strained sewer and drainage systems – older homes without sump pumps could face flooding risks due to increased water runoff.
🏡 Gentrification and rising property taxes – families who have lived in their neighborhoods for decades may no longer afford to stay.Edmonton homeowners did not create the housing crisis. The federal government opened the borders to 1.5 million people a year without ensuring municipalities could handle the demand. Then, they pressured cities to change zoning laws in exchange for funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund.
A city-wide decision of this magnitude should not be made behind closed doors. Developers should not have carte blanche to reshape our communities without input from the people who live there. We need a referendum on this issue. Homeowners and taxpayers must have the final say—not politicians who take developer donations, not city planners who don’t live in our communities, and not bureaucrats looking to fill the city’s pockets at our expense.
It’s time to put decision-making back into the hands of the people. Edmonton belongs to its residents, not to developers.