Calgary Minute: Police Morale, Council Wages, and Childcare Facility Bylaw

Calgary Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Calgary politics

This Week In Calgary:

• While Council is no longer in recess as of January 3rd, there are no meetings at City Hall until the 11th when the Infrastructure and Planning Committee will meet.
  
  
• The Calgary Flames’ organist, who entertains fans with live music during games, is taking song requests. While the Chicken Dance is still popular at games, organist Warren Tse can be reached on Twitter at @FlamesOrganist if you want to hear something else.
  
  
• Premier Danielle Smith is planning to focus on Calgary projects. She says Edmonton is a little ahead when it comes to having a world-class event centre and a fully completed ring road, but that she is committed to helping close the gap.

Last Week In Calgary:

• While your property taxes increased, so did the salary of City Councillors. A 2.41% automatic increase took effect January 1st and was based on a formula set by an independent board. Mayor Jyoti Gondek will see a salary increase of almost $5,000, for an annual total of $208,707. Councillors, post-increase, will make $117,913 every year.
  
  
• As part of a year-end interview, Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld revealed some results of the annual workforce survey and among police officers in the city, morale is low. Only 13% of respondents described their morale as “good” - virtually the same as in 2021. A large hiring campaign is underway to recruit more police as the return to normal events after COVID-19 restrictions has strained resources. Neufeld also noted that violent incidents have increased in Calgary, which he attributes to organized crime.
  
  
• A new bylaw took effect for Calgary’s home-based childcare facilities. The bylaw requires that every facility has a business licence, first-aid and CPR training, and a clean police background check. While the Province already had these requirements for large daycares, small, home-based facilities are unregulated. Fines for operating without a license in Calgary could now be as high as $1,000.

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