Calgary mayor and councilors respond to recall petition – Calgary

Calgary City Council met on Tuesday for a scheduled public hearing, but it was an off-the-agenda topic that took most of the reporters' questions to councilors and the mayor.

A recall petition against Mayor Jyoti Gondek was filed late last month, and the City of Calgary confirmed Monday that it meets the criteria to proceed.

The message was sent by Landon Johnston, a Calgarian and business owner, who told Global News he was frustrated with how city council and the mayor handled certain issues during his term.

“It was a surprise,” Gondek said Tuesday. “I wouldn't be a man if I didn't say I'd give him a little bite.”

For a recall petition to be successful, it must receive the support of at least 40 per cent of Calgarians in 2019 within 60 days.

Johnston has until April 4 to collect 514,284 non-digital and certified signatures.

In an interview with Global News, Johnston said he wants to take the opportunity to alert the council and mayor about success or not.

“They are very comfortable,” he said. “No counselor is safe. Your job is not safe.'

Gondek said any feedback from the public is an opportunity to think about decisions, and noted that the public has an opportunity to contact the mayor and council to learn more about why certain decisions were made.

“There are times when you have to think about the future of a city and make decisions that are in the best interest of future opportunity and prosperity. There are people who are concerned why you don't do something sooner,” Gondek said.

“I think the work is complex, the decisions we make are very complex. We're happy to engage with the public at any time and that's what we're focusing on.”

13th district. Dan McLean felt it was “obvious” why the recall petition was filed when the city council's approval ratings were low.

McLean, however, said he does not plan to support the petition.

“I have no plans to sign him,” MacLean said. “I think the time for a recall is election time.”

10th district. Andre Chabot said the high demands of the petition made him unavailable and did not allow him to be distracted in his role.

“I don't know who this person is or what he has to do with city hall, but it looks like theater to me,” Chabot told reporters.

This is the first attempt to use repossession legislation in Calgary since the province's amendments to the Municipal Government Act came into force in April 2022.

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Calling the upcoming task “a reminder,” Johnston said he wants to use the petition to shine a light on a process designed to “dissuade people from applying to the government.”

Lori Williams, an associate professor of political science at Mount Royal University, said the threshold for removing an elected official should be high, but Alberta legislation makes it “virtually impossible” for a recall to succeed.

“This may not be an appropriate threshold, but some higher threshold is appropriate so that the minority does not interfere with democratic elections,” he said.

Williams stressed that it's important to distinguish between disagreements over policy or the outcome of an election and misconduct by elected officials.

In a statement to Global News, Municipal Affairs Minister Rick McIver said, “It shouldn't be easy to remove someone from office when they've been duly elected by the community.”

“Alberta is the only province or territory in Canada that allows the recall of a municipal councillor. It aims to hold elected officials accountable throughout their term, not just during elections,” McIver said in a statement.

“Following feedback from stakeholder interaction sessions and online surveys, we are reviewing the recall rules to increase advisor accountability and strengthen oversight.”

Calgary's mayor has expressed concerns about the collection and protection of Calgarians' information in the petition, especially “beyond the ability to subpoena.”

Still, Gondek said he's willing to talk to Johnston about his concerns.

“I would talk to a member of the public who needs to know how I voted on something or the decisions I'm making,” Gondek told reporters.

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