Calgarians want good money managers in city hall

Good financial management by the city's next mayor and council tops the priority list for Calgarians, suggests a poll conducted exclusively for CBC News.

When people were asked what qualities they want Mayor Dave Bronconnier's replacement — as well as the next slate of council members — to possess, 25 per cent said they should be good financial managers. 

But only four per cent of the respondents said the mayor and council should have "courage to cut to meet budget."

'Most citizens believe that you can't be short-sighted and cut things … when we need to build for the future.' —Bruce Cameron, pollster

The results suggest Calgarians want leaders who are good with money and willing to spend it — but wisely, according to Bruce Cameron, whose company Return On Insight (ROI) was commissioned to conduct the poll.

"Despite considerable coverage of municipal budgetary challenges and spending issues in the past year, twice as many Calgarians want the next mayor and council to have the courage to maintain programs, even if it means tax increases, rather than seeking someone with the ability to cut programs to save taxes," said Cameron, who designed and analyzed the poll.

Sixty-three per cent said it was very important for city council to "have the courage to maintain spending even if it means tax increases."

"I think that most citizens believe that you can't be short-sighted and cut things at this point in time when we need to build for the future," Cameron said.

Twenty per cent of respondents said the mayor and council should listen and talk with Calgarians, and 16 per cent said it was important for the politicians to have a plan for the future.

Relatively few people surveyed — just three per cent — said Calgary's next civic leaders should "prioritize residents over big business." The same proportion said delivering on promises was an important quality.

Cameron's firm polled 401 adult Calgarians from April 10-14.  The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Good environmental record scores low

The survey also suggested Calgarians might be open to seeing new faces in their municipal government, with only three per cent of respondents saying it was important to have experience working on council.

Two per cent listed having a good environmental record as an important quality for a candidate to have.

So far, the race to replace Bronconnier includes current aldermen Ric McIver and Joe Connelly, former alderman Jon Lord and urban chicken activist Paul Hughes.

Businessman Alnoor Kassam said he's reconsidering his February announcement to try again for the mayor's chair.

Calgarians go to the polls to elect a new mayor and council on Oct. 18.