Nenshi to meet Redford over city powers in March

Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he has secured a meeting with the premier to discuss greater powers for Calgary, to help pay for infrastructure.

Nenshi has been asking for what he calls political leadership from the province, as negotiations drag on related to the drafting of a city charter for Calgary and the ratification of the Calgary Metropolitan Plan.

There has been a growing rift between the mayor and the Redford government since Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths suggested Nenshi was playing politics and acting like a peacock.

Nenshi was asked if there's still tension. "I'm not really interested in the politics of this, or the who likes who, or all the junior high school drama. I'm really interested in getting the work done," he said. 

"So, insofar as the work needs to get done, sure there's some tension because we gotta get the work done," he added.

Nenshi said he has not had a formal sit down meeting with Redford since her election.

"The bureaucracy can't be sitting down and negotiating this all on their own in the absence of political leaders, so it's time," he said.

The meeting will take place in late March.

The Calgary Metropolitan Plan would see municipalities in the Calgary area work together on decisions about future roads, transit and water in the region. Fourteen municipalities are on board with the plan but three districts do not support it.

City charters for Edmonton and Calgary,agreed to in principle in 2012, would provide Alberta’s big cities more powers. But the negotiations are not where they should be after months of talking, Nenshi has argued.