Latest news with #DavidDuckworth
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bell: Gondek shovels the spin — Calgary's notorious city hall secrecy remains
How much do the Calgary city hall paper-shufflers actually make? Mayor Jyoti Gondek says nothing of substance. No surprise. Almost nobody at Calgary city hall wants to talk about it. Getting the facts for Calgarians from these folks downtown is far tougher than pulling teeth. You'd think these folks were running a spy agency. 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. They nibble around the edges but when they are pressed on the issue they won't take a real bite. 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. It is pitiful. Why isn't somebody going on the city council floor and pushing for what's called a Sunshine List? The Alberta government has a Sunshine List. 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. If you get the boot and score severance on the way out that payout is also known. By the way, do we even know what Calgary top cop Mark Neufeld got in severance going out the exit door? Ask city hall about it and they pass the buck to the Calgary Police Commission where city council members sit. 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. It is time to ask Mayor Gondek. The buck has to stop somewhere. Gondek talks about how city hall could do a better job of being more open. 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. You're no wiser than when you started. MEMO TO THE GONDEK BRAINTRUST. Friendly advice. The mayor is not following the plan on how to politically rehabilitate herself. You know, the Gondek image makeover I recently wrote about with the $107,324 price tag paid by you, dear reader. A question to Mayor Gondek from this newshound. I'm trying to help the mayor see the light. Why not just bring in a Sunshine List like most other governments and then we will know how much the city hall movers and shakers make? It is taxpayer money. It is a doubly important question since, this week, one of the city hall high-and-mighties actually seems to suggest Calgary city hall doesn't have enough employees. Say what?! That's hard to believe because when one of the city hall somebodies makes a presentation to city council they often come in with a big enough entourage you'd think they must be a member of the Royal Family. So the slow pitch question to Gondek. How about finanicial info on the city hall brass? A swing and a miss. 'We do have tools that provide that.' They do not. 'Are they easily accessible? Obviously not, because people are asking: Where can we find these things?' People are asking because … THERE IS NO CITY HALL SUNSHINE LIST. A follow-up question. Gondek rushes off. The city of Calgary has a list of job titles and the pay range for each job. It's like a massive Help Wanted catalogue. It means nothing. So the secrecy goes on. Ten years ago, yes, ten long years ago, city hall paper shufflers misled Calgarians. They said provincial privacy laws prevented a Sunshine List showing the pay and perks of city hall bigshots. Did they take us for fools? Jeff Fielding, then the big boss at the city, cleared the air and said council could have voted Yes to a real Sunshine List, like almost everywhere else, including where he previously worked in Ontario. Council should press the issue and stop letting city brass lead them around by the nose. Again, Dan McLean seems to be one of the few members of city council willing to speak. If others are, you know where to find me. 'Everyone would like to see a Sunshine List, except administration. Why don't they want to see one? What are they hiding? I want to know exactly how much Joe Schmo is making and what he does,' says McLean. 'I don't care if you're getting paid a lot of money if you're earning it, but enquiring minds want to know.' rbell@
Calgary Herald
29-05-2025
- Calgary Herald
Security top of mind at this weekend's Lilac Festival, says deputy police chief
Article content With one of Calgary's largest street festivals set to take over the Beltline, Mission and Cliff Bungalow this weekend, and with recent vehicle-ramming events in Liverpool and Vancouver in mind, protecting attendees will be a priority at Sunday's 4th Street Lilac Festival. Article content Article content The free yearly event is slated to bring more than 100,000 Calgarians down to 4th Street S.W. for the day-long celebration, which informally kicks off the summer festival season. Article content Article content Lilac Fest, which is entering its 34th year, will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. between 12th Avenue and Elbow Drive S.W., offering up hundreds of vendors and dozens of live performances. Article content Article content A statement from the Calgary Police Service said there will be enhanced security protocols in place and the agency is taking extra measures to ensure the safety of festivalgoers this year. Article content 'We continuously monitor both local and international incidents as part of our planning for all major events,' it stated. Article content Article content This year's festival comes just days after a minivan plowed into a crowd of soccer fans in Liverpool who were celebrating their team winning the English Premier League championship. Nobody was killed in Tuesday's attack, but 79 were reportedly injured and many were hospitalized, including children. Article content Article content That incident followed a deadly vehicle-ramming in Vancouver last month, where 11 people were killed and many more were injured during the Lapu Lapu Day festival on April 26. Article content In response, chief administrative officer David Duckworth said the city completes approximately 100 emergency response plans for festivals and community events each year, preparing for everything from medical emergencies to fires, bomb threats and violence.
