Calgary Minute: AUMA Convention, Election 2021, and a Leaked Secret Letter

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

This Week In Calgary:

• This morning there will be a Strategic Meeting of Council. Council will be reviewing a plan for "Achieving the Calgary of Tomorrow". In short, City Staff want Council to give them guidance on what to do over the next three years and the staff's recommendation is to keep doing more of the same!
  
  
• The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association's annual convention will be held remotely this week. Councillors from around the province will be voting on a proposal that would see the association endorse and campaign for a provincial sales tax. We're encouraging Calgary Councillors to vote against this motion but, as voting is secret, who knows what will happen? We are also kindly asking that Councillors refrain from expensing any alcohol needed to get through these zoom sessions.
  
  
• On Wednesday, Canada's Governor General will present the federal Speech from the Throne. Political pundits are predicting that the Speech will increase funding for municipalities, but also might be bad news for Calgary's energy industry.

Last Week In Calgary:

• Councillor Farkas has become the first person to declare that they are running for Mayor in 2021. Farkas positioned himself as the candidate ready to unleash Calgary's potential, noting that he "wants city hall to live the reality of the rest of this hurting city."
  
  
• Council strongly opposed the provincial government's plans to centralize EMS dispatch services. Most of Council's discussion on the subject took place in Council's Chamber of Secrets, leaving observers confused about why Council wanted to keep a letter from Alberta's Chief Paramedic, Darren Sandbeck, confidential. The reason for Council's attempted secrecy quickly became obvious when the letter was leaked to the media. The letter "directly refutes statements Nenshi has made..., calling some of the mayor’s words 'untrue and disrespectful'."
  
  
• The grossly overpriced $165,000 decorative wrapper covering Calgary's Historic City Hall building was removed after three years of restoration work was completed recently. To commemorate the fact that nothing has changed in three years and Council is still willing to spare no expense as long as taxpayers are footing the bill, Council honoured the occasion with a commemorative plaque to themselves. 

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