Budget pressures top of mind for Edmonton's new city manager
Eddie Robar has served as interim city manager since April
Edmonton's newly appointed city manager says navigating the city budget constraints and continuing to shrink the deficit, will be his biggest challenges in the months ahead.
Eddie Robar, whose selection for the role was announced on Wednesday, said taking care of the city's finances will be his top priority.
Robar has worked at city hall for more than eight years. He had served as interim city manager since April.
Getting the city on a solid financial footing will be his primary focus on the months ahead as budget deliberations continue, Robar said.
As of September, the city was facing a $34-million projected budget deficit. Robar said that projected shortfall is now closer to $20 million.
"Our focus right now is how do we create a sustainable path forward from the fiscal situation," he said during a news conference Thursday.
"How do we get through this in a way to understand where we can trim and where we can look at enhancing some of the service levels that we have?"
Robar said rapid population growth in recent years has put a strain on core services, and that the city must find ways to ensure its budget can keep pace.
He said taking care of the city's finances will involve keeping operational costs down, and finding new sources of revenue from commercial development.
"Growth is happening to us now whether we like it or not," he said. "I think those are things that we need to we need to control and make sure that we're able to afford what growth means to the city."
The city manager is a critical link between council and administration, acting as a leader for day-to-day city operations.
Robar will be responsible for leading more than 11,000 employees in delivering hundreds of city programs and services across more than 70 departments and services.
Improving workplace culture and ensuring core city services run smoothly are also key priorities for his office, Robar said.
"I took this position and I owned it from the start," he said. "We've been making changes in the last eight months to try and make sure that we're moving in the right direction."
Robar's appointment was announced by Mayor Amarjeet Sohi.
Sohi told media Thursday that Robar was selected after an intensive search. He said Robar has shown that he's effective at empowering the workforce and making decision-making processes less rigid.
"Eddie has already shown leadership and commitment to Edmontonians in this role," Sohi said.
Sohi said Robar's knowledge of the city's financial challenges and his experience of the daily inner workings of the city make him confident that Robar is the right choice.
Proud to lead
During his tenure as interim manager this summer, Robar helped the city navigate budget cuts and helped the city deliver aid to evacuees of the wildfires in Jasper.
Prior to his promotion, Robar was the deputy city manager of city operations, the department responsible for parks, roads, transit, waste, fleet and facility programs.
He oversaw the redesign of the city's transit network, introduced adjustments to snow and ice programs, and expanded Edmonton's organics waste program.
He has spent his entire career in municipal government and has led transit systems in Edmonton and Halifax.
Robar stepped into the job after his predecessor, Andre Corbould, abruptly stepped down in spring after about three years on the job.
Corbould took over the role from former city manager Linda Cochrane, who retired at the end of December 2019. The role was temporarily filled by longtime city employee Adam Laughlin.
Robar said he plans to remain in the job for "a very long time," and that he looks forward to the challenges ahead.
"When I look at running this organization, you can't do that without having 11,000 people behind you and a council that supports you," he said. "I think those things go a long way."