Mayor Gondek celebrates 1 year since historic Calgary election
1st woman to become city's mayor praises colleagues as city sees economic progress
Anniversaries are a chance to reflect, but Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says there's still plenty of work to do as she enters the second year of her term in office.
On Oct 18, 2021, Calgarians delivered her to the mayor's office. A year later, she points to her swearing in ceremony as the high point of that first year.
Following Naheed Nenshi's 11 years in the mayor's chair, Gondek promised to bring a different style of leadership from that of her predecessor.
It's a style she describes as more collaborative and less focused on her as the mayor. In short, this mayor wants councillors to have a bigger profile on the work that they do.
"I think it's important to make sure that not only in a council meeting do people feel seen and heard but also in the community and on major projects that they feel that they have a role to play. And that's something that I'll continue to cultivate," said Gondek.
She points with pride to council's decision to declare a climate emergency, something that has Calgary joining many other municipalities in doing and bringing the City of Calgary in step with much of the energy industry.
But there have been controversies along the way, too.
Troubles along way
A month after the election, most of city council supported reinvestments in the civic budget, which resulted in a municipal tax hike of more than three per cent.
As 2021 ended, the city's deal with the owners of the Calgary Flames on a new downtown arena fell apart when the owners walked away, citing rising costs.
"Did it hurt? Of course it did. It stings. Bad press stings," said Gondek.
"Hurt feelings sting when members of the community are upset with you for something that you know didn't happen the way they think it did. Of course it hurts."
But from that low point, council got together and created a new committee to kick start the process, and arena negotiations resumed.
Attracting investment
Gondek led a local team of film industry officials to Los Angeles to talk up Calgary's growing film and TV resume. It's a trip that she said will be paying dividends in the months and years ahead.
More tech companies have taken the plunge to locate to Calgary, and Gondek says Calgary is again flexing its economic muscles as it diversifies beyond the energy sector.
For the year ahead, the mayor said she's focused on the upcoming four-year budget debate that council faces in November.
The other big project she is hoping to see progress on in 2023 is the unveiling of the site for the planned Indigenous gathering place.
The city is looking at transferring a chunk of land at Fort Calgary to a non-profit society, which will use the site as a place for Indigenous ceremonies, reflection and reconciliation.
Turbulent times
Political scientist Lori Williams said Gondek's first year has seen some successes, but there have also been challenges.
She said Gondek has successfully given a voice to those who have been the victims of discrimination or harassment, and that people have gained insights from her perspectives.
New mayors typically get a bit of a honeymoon, but Williams said turbulent political times saw Gondek facing numerous thorny issues in quick succession.
Whether it was navigating the climate emergency declaration, tax increases, police funding models, dealing with anti-COVID restriction protests in the Beltline or a thorny relationship with the former provincial government of Jason Kenney, Williams said Gondek hasn't had many breaks.
"There's no question she had a very rough start," said Williams.
"Frankly, I have to admire anybody who was running for mayor in the climate that Jyoti Gondek and her competitors faced in that election because things were not looking terribly positive for the city or the province."
Present and former Calgary mayors have always had to manage the city's relationship with the provincial government.
But Williams said there are ways Gondek can use her collaborative approach to bolster her political fortunes.
The MRU associate professor pointed to various recent announcements where the different orders of government managed to find agreement.
"The more sort of successes that happen because of these kinds of collaborations, the further that she is able to advance the interests of the city, the better she will do politically."
Political drift?
Gondek's detractors say her rough start may hamper her throughout her term. Earlier this year, as she marked her 100th day in office, she decided to part company with her chief of staff, Stephen Carter.
The longtime political operative was her campaign manager last year.
He said Gondek started her term strongly, but since then, she's kind of drifted.
"I think we're seeing a standstill. And that standstill is the real challenge for people," said Carter, a political consultant and commentator.
"People want leadership. They want to know where they're going to go, and where they want to go is not where they are right now."
He noted Gondek tried to work together with council in the early going of the term, but that hasn't resulted in major changes.
Carter said the mayor's office has handed the policy role to the city's administration and it's running with that.
As a result, he said, you get the situation where Gondek spent political capital in convincing council to declare a climate emergency. But then a few months later, council approved new suburbs on the edges of the city, which moves Calgary away from its climate goals.
Carter concedes that his view of Gondek's work is tainted, given he used to work for her until he was let go.
But he added that his departure doesn't change the vision that Gondek offered voters last year when they went to the polls.
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