Calgary Minute: Issue 337

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

📅 This Week In Calgary: 📅

• Jeromy Farkas was sworn in Calgary’s 38th Mayor, alongside a City Council that includes 10 new members - the largest turnover in years. The 14 Councillors sworn in were Kim Tyers (Ward 1), Jennifer Wyness (Ward 2), Andrew Yule (Ward 3), DJ Kelly (Ward 4), Raj Dhaliwal (Ward 5), John Pantazopoulos (Ward 6), Myke Atkinson (Ward 7), Nathaniel Schmidt (Ward 8), Harrison Clark (Ward 9), Andre Chabot (Ward 10), Rob Ward (Ward 11), Mike Jamieson (Ward 12), Dan McLean (Ward 13), and Landon Johnston (Ward 14). Only Wyness, Dhaliwal, Chabot, and McLean return from the previous term. Farkas, who narrowly defeated Sonya Sharp by 616 votes, called the moment a “sacred duty” and said his administration will prioritize transparency, fiscal restraint, and public trust. His first order of business is the 2026 budget, where Council will review a proposed tax increase and consider further amendments to reduce spending.
  
  
• Calgary’s new Council intends to focus their early attention on repealing the City’s controversial blanket rezoning policy and approving the 2026 budget. Mayor-elect Jeromy Farkas said his first 100 days will focus on collaboration with Councillors and addressing local priorities. While many members campaigned on rolling back blanket rezoning, the repeal process could take until early 2026 due to required legal and public hearing steps. Before that, Council must finalize the 2026 budget, which proposes $4.6 billion in operational spending and a 3.6% overall property tax increase. Some Councillors have signalled plans to trim spending, with housing, transit, and climate-related costs as potential targets. The first organizational meeting, taking place this week, will assign Councillors to committees and boards.
  
  
• A recent Calgary Police Service (CPS) survey revealed that only 11% of employees feel staffing levels are adequate, highlighting a significant workforce shortage as the new City Council and Mayor Jeromy Farkas prepare for budget discussions. While employee satisfaction improved in areas like training and engagement, concerns remain over accommodated leaves and limited opportunities for ongoing professional development. Commission Chair Amtul Siddiqui emphasized the need to address resource and staffing challenges and build strong relationships with Council to plan for future public safety needs. Mayor Farkas has pledged to reopen a downtown police station, enhance officer training, and better recognize staff, while also promising to align police staffing with population growth. The survey showed 85% of employees believe Calgary is a safe city, though satisfaction with service delivery dipped slightly. Overall engagement rose to 59%, and trust in the commission increased to 40%, reflecting proactive leadership and a positive reception of interim Chief Katie McLellan. About half of CPS employees participated in the survey, providing key insights to guide future priorities.
  
  
• The City of Calgary will maintain its hybrid work policy for municipal employees, diverging from the Alberta government’s recent decision to require all provincial staff to return to the office full time by February 2026. The City’s policy, negotiated in a three-year labour agreement with CUPE Local 38, allows eligible employees to work from home based on operational needs. Union President D’Arcy Lanovaz said any attempt to revoke those permissions could face a legal challenge, as remote work provisions are part of the collective agreement. Most of Calgary’s 6,900 administrative and technical employees currently follow a hybrid schedule, with full-time remote work limited to select roles like IT. Lanovaz criticized the Province’s rationale of boosting downtown economies through office mandates, arguing productivity shouldn’t be measured by physical presence.
  
  
• Many Calgary residents will cast their ballots in new or redrawn constituencies during Alberta’s next provincial election, following recommendations from the Electoral Boundaries Commission’s interim report. The 214-page report proposes increasing the number of provincial ridings from 87 to 89 to reflect population growth. Calgary is set to gain two brand new seats, while Edmonton gains one and rural Alberta loses one. The new seats in Calgary would be called Calgary-Nose Creek and Calgary-Confluence and are designed to help balance out population growth in the North and central parts of the city, respectively. Other proposed changes include creating Calgary-West-Elbow Valley and Calgary-Okotoks by merging nearby suburban and rural communities with the city. The commission, made up of one justice and four appointed members, cited the need to balance population while ensuring fair representation. However, it noted strong opposition to hybrid ridings that mix urban and rural areas. Written submissions on the proposed changes are being accepted until December 19th, with the final report expected in March 2026 to shape the map for the 2027 election.

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