Mayor will not seek re-election

In a surprise announcement, Mayor Dave Bronconnier says he will not be running for Calgary's top job for a fourth term.

At his state of the city address on Tuesday, Bronconnier said he wants to give all challengers enough time to mount a proper campaign for the October municipal election.

"I felt that it was important to let citizens know early on what my intentions were and that those seeking to be the 36th mayor of Calgary have sufficient time," said the mayor, who was first elected to the city's highest political office in 2001.

"There is no outside force and there is no regret. What it is, is there was an agenda that was established in 2001 that has largely been accomplished," said Bronconnier. "It's time to move on."

'At the end of the day it is about leadership not salesmanship.' —Mayor Dave Bronconnier

In a year-end interview with CBC News just two months ago, Bronconnier said he intended to run in the fall election.

Bronconnier's speech on Tuesday was scheduled to look at his past year at city hall, but he surprised reporters with the announcement that this will be his final term as mayor.

"My plan of course is to move back into private life not public life," said Bronconnier, who first joined city council as an alderman in 1992.

"I don't have anything to go to. I can't tell you what that next step of my life may be."

Citing his outspoken advocacy for Calgary's infrastructure projects and financial sustainability, Bronconnier's own list of accomplishments from three terms in office included:

• Investments in transportation, transit, and protective services.
• Retaining ownership of Enmax, the city-owned energy utility.
• Environmental initiatives including curbside recycling, water and energy conservation.
• Redevelopment of the East Village through tax increment financing.

"He was on top of the city during one of the biggest growth spurts of any city in Canadian history and he led us through it successfully, certainly with controversy, but an unfailing love and commitment to Calgary," said Ald. Bob Hawkesworth.

Proud of policies set during terms in office

Bronconnier said his decision to leave the mayor's office has nothing to with criticism of his record.

"If every one of those decisions was popular, well, then you wouldn't be in public life for far too long if you just want to be popular," Bronconnier told reporters.

"At the end of the day it is about leadership not salesmanship."

Calgarians will look back at his time as mayor and say that he set the right policies, the mayor said.

"In my 8 1/2 years of public life I have never come forward without a plan, without an ability to fund it and more importantly for Calgarians, a desire to implement it."

Council acrimony

The past term on city council has seen an increasingly acrimonious atmosphere among elected officials.

"I think the next mayor needs to be someone who can pull this city together and we really need somebody who can also build the sense of community and can help us work through our differences, maybe in a more collaborative way," said Hawkesworth.

Ald. Ric McIver, who has had a rocky council relationship with the mayor, said, "It's time for him to reflect on the fact that he's accomplished a lot of things and got his way on every major issue that he chose to have his way on and he needs to think about that."

When asked if McIver was going to throw his hat into the mayoralty race, McIver would only say: "This is his worship's day and it's important he has this day."

With 237 days left in the job, Bronconnier said he intends to continue working on outstanding issues.

Any donations left in his campaign war chest will be distributed to Calgary-area charities, he added.