Bell: Gondek shovels the spin — Calgary's notorious city hall secrecy remains
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Mayor Jyoti Gondek says nothing of substance.
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No surprise.
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Getting the facts for Calgarians from these folks downtown is far tougher than pulling teeth.
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You'd think these folks were running a spy agency.
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What is second nature, so obviously the right thing to do, a no-brainer with governments right across the country, is something almost nobody at Calgary city hall wants to talk about.
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They nibble around the edges but when they are pressed on the issue they won't take a real bite.
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Instead, life is so closed in the city hall cocoon, their operations so notoriously secretive, the city hall politicians will actually chinwag next week about how much we should know about what their boss paper-shuffler David Duckworth pockets carrying out orders in the Big Blue Playpen.
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If you're on the Alberta government payroll and make more than $133,813 this year, then your regular salary, any other cash benefits above that wage and the employer's contributions to your pension and other benefits will be shown on the list along with your name and job title.
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If you get the boot and score severance on the way out that payout is also known.
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By the way, do we even know what Calgary top cop Mark Neufeld got in severance going out the exit door?
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Ask city hall about it and they pass the buck to the Calgary Police Commission where city council members sit.
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Taxpayers learn squat even if it's your money. City hall just hopes you tire of the constant struggle to get to the truth and throw up your hands and give up.
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It is time to ask Mayor Gondek. The buck has to stop somewhere.
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Gondek talks about how city hall could do a better job of being more open.
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Alas, most of what she says is a word salad involving insider talk of city hall procedures that would give you instant brain freeze while taking a shot at Sonya Sharp, a councillor running for the mayor's job.
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You're no wiser than when you started.
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MEMO TO THE GONDEK BRAINTRUST. Friendly advice. The mayor is not following the plan on how to politically rehabilitate herself.
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Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Calgary Herald
Bell: Gondek shovels the spin — Calgary's notorious city hall secrecy remains
How much do the Calgary city hall paper-shufflers actually make? Article content Mayor Jyoti Gondek says nothing of substance. Article content No surprise. Article content Getting the facts for Calgarians from these folks downtown is far tougher than pulling teeth. Article content You'd think these folks were running a spy agency. Article content What is second nature, so obviously the right thing to do, a no-brainer with governments right across the country, is something almost nobody at Calgary city hall wants to talk about. Article content Article content They nibble around the edges but when they are pressed on the issue they won't take a real bite. Article content Article content Instead, life is so closed in the city hall cocoon, their operations so notoriously secretive, the city hall politicians will actually chinwag next week about how much we should know about what their boss paper-shuffler David Duckworth pockets carrying out orders in the Big Blue Playpen. Article content If you're on the Alberta government payroll and make more than $133,813 this year, then your regular salary, any other cash benefits above that wage and the employer's contributions to your pension and other benefits will be shown on the list along with your name and job title. Article content If you get the boot and score severance on the way out that payout is also known. Article content Article content By the way, do we even know what Calgary top cop Mark Neufeld got in severance going out the exit door? Article content Ask city hall about it and they pass the buck to the Calgary Police Commission where city council members sit. Article content Taxpayers learn squat even if it's your money. City hall just hopes you tire of the constant struggle to get to the truth and throw up your hands and give up. Article content It is time to ask Mayor Gondek. The buck has to stop somewhere. Article content Gondek talks about how city hall could do a better job of being more open. Article content Alas, most of what she says is a word salad involving insider talk of city hall procedures that would give you instant brain freeze while taking a shot at Sonya Sharp, a councillor running for the mayor's job. Article content You're no wiser than when you started. Article content MEMO TO THE GONDEK BRAINTRUST. Friendly advice. The mayor is not following the plan on how to politically rehabilitate herself.
Global News
4 days ago
- Global News
Questions surround Calgary's projected $175M surplus in 2025
The City of Calgary is forecasting another nine-figure budget surplus this year, expected to be $175 million by year's end, and that's raised questions about the reoccurring trend. The figures were released as part of a second quarter economic and financial update to city councillors Tuesday. Documents show as of June 30, the city is running a $221 million 'favourable operating variance,' but that surplus forecasted to drop to $175 million by the end of the year. The drop is due in part to spending scheduled later in the year including $28 million to cover a funding gap in the Calgary Police Service budget due to the provincial ban on photo radar. Les Tocher, the city's chief financial officer, told councillors the estimated surplus is due to lower-than-budgeted corporate contingencies, but it's mostly driven by higher interest income and one-time gains earned from rebalancing the city's investment portfolio. Story continues below advertisement 'When we rebalance our accounts, that would create a capital gain. It's a one-time gain, it's not reoccurring,' he said. This year's projection follows a trend of reported surpluses by the City of Calgary in recent years including $276.3 million last year, $236.4 million in 2023 and $258.7 million in 2022. A recent report detailing the history of the city's surpluses showed the city has reported an average surplus of $158 million over the last 10 years, with each exceeding $140 million since 2019. 2:19 Calgary city council votes to cover police budget shortfall Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the repeated surpluses are due to overly conservative and cautious revenue estimates from city administration and not over-taxation. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'One thing we have not done well is give people certainty and predictability based on strong forecasting models, and that is something I have asked finance to fix,' Gondek told reporters. 'They have to come in with a proper forecast so that when we set the budget, we know exactly how much is needed.' Story continues below advertisement However, provincial legislation mandates that municipalities in Alberta cannot run surpluses or deficits by year's end. 'It has to be allocated,' said Lindsay Tedds, a professor at the University of Calgary's department of economics. Calgary's projected surplus in 2025 is equivalent to $110 per Calgary taxpayer, according to city administrative officer David Duckworth, but a property tax rebate appears highly unlikely and hard to do. 'It would probably cost more just to administer,' Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said. 'Even though it would be a nice gesture for the taxpayer, a nicer gesture would be to not raise taxes.' Some on council feel it's a premature argument without knowing what the budget will look like for next year. Gondek said some of the excess revenue should be spent on one-time projects, like critical repairs to infrastructure, pointing to council approving of $25 million of the surplus back in June. 'It's a balance that council has to strike to make sure that Calgarians are getting the services they deserve and the amenities that they deserve, and they can count on us to have infrastructure maintenance happening when we set the budget,' she said. Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot downplayed the size of the surplus, noting it represents around two per cent of the city budget. Story continues below advertisement He said he hopes to see some funding allocated to a special reserve, which has been drawn down by council over the years. 'We have to be cautious about how we allocate those funds to make sure that it doesn't impact our credit rating,' Chabot told reporters. 'If it impacts our credit rating, then the costs would go up significantly in regards to the servicing costs of our debt.' Budget deliberations are scheduled in November and will be debated by the next city council, to be elected on Oct. 20, 2025.
Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
Bell: Stop! Calgary councillor demands a pause on more city bike lanes
The bike lane cheerleaders are finally going to have to answer some questions. Article content And the number of questions keep growing. Article content Article content Premier Danielle Smith's UCP has a summer survey out now. Article content One of the questions. Read it carefully. Article content Article content McLean says the city should stop the construction of separated new bike lanes, for now. Article content This can't be a city hall inside job, he says. A lot of Calgarians don't trust city hall, for good reason. City hall has its agenda and they will jam it down our throats. Article content But why would anyone in their right mind be against a fresh set of eyes looking at the bike lane experiment 10 years after the first lanes got the green light for a tryout? Article content That was a green light after an 8-7 vote in favour, with Andre Chabot the councillor giving an an unexpected Yes to get the scheme over the finish line. Article content Article content Who would not agree with a deep dive into the bike lane arithmetic when eyes can see most times on most days the bike lanes are not packed with cyclists as promised? Article content What's so radical about being accountable? Article content 'They don't want a shine a line on it,' says McLean, of the bike lane cheerleaders. Article content 'They can't handle the truth.' Article content McLean says if he brought forward the idea of a look-see into bike lanes in the dying days of this unpopular council it would fail miserably. Article content After all, McLean figures if there was more coin for potholes and fewer dollars for bike lanes 'the public would be overjoyed.'
