Calgary, we need a new Mayor.
The current leadership has lost touch with the people. It’s time for a change.
In the past 7 years, we’ve seen our property taxes skyrocket by 51 per cent, we’ve seen City spending rise dramatically and we’ve seen a significant increase in crime in every quadrant of Calgary because of the opioid crisis and economy. All this in a climate where businesses have closed their doors, thousands of jobs have disappeared and downtown office towers sit empty.
We need a Mayor who is willing to listen, get along with others, and keep his word. Our current Mayor has a long list of things he will do. But he’s accomplished almost nothing because he is incapable of teamwork.
Bill has a proven record of relational leadership. The issues we have in Calgary aren’t going to be solved by one person dictating their vision. They will be solved by bringing people together, listening, and finding common ground. Poor collaboration is why nothing is getting done.
We need someone who can unite and not divide. Someone who can lead positive change – working with Calgarians from every community – while treating people like friends and neighbours.
Putting Calgarians First
When I started a law practice, I wanted to offer better value and better service. I knew the traditional approach to law worked well for lawyers, but not the people they served. So, I built a different model – low-cost and fixed fees to make legal services more accessible, affordable, and client-friendly. We have the same opportunity at City Hall - to be creative in how we meet the needs of taxpayers. We can make Calgary more efficient in program delivery by:
- Freezing salaries, starting at the top.
- Working with our front-line workers to find efficiencies – collaboratively.
- New service delivery models to reduce costs – includes rewarding front line workers who find efficiencies while enhancing service to Calgarians.
Smart Spending
We will prioritize spending on what matters most – safety, long-term planning for community infrastructure and economic development.
There is no vision for what Calgary will look like in the next 10-15 years. We need a long-term plan to implement rather than doing one-off projects. On community infrastructure, I will facilitate an open discussion on all proposed projects - art gallery, arena, stadium, field house, convention centre, and others. We will create an integrated plan, provide real consultation, identify who will benefit, and who should pay. Those who benefit will pay. Any new projects will put Calgary taxpayers first.
A Calgary that’s Open for Business
Calgary used to be the place to do business. Not anymore. Like many Calgarians, my business taxes have gone up 70% over the last seven years. Calgarians are frustrated that it has become so hard to expand a business or set up one up because of long approval processes and red tape. Time to make Calgary business-friendly by:
- Reining in taxes.
- Streamlining regulations to guarantee response times.
We need a plan for long-term growth and a diversification strategy with clear goals, responsibilities, and timelines. We’ve been talking about this for 30 years. Let’s get it done!
Teamwork
City Hall has a long to do list, but accomplishes nothing. The current council does not work well together, nor do they work with Calgarians. Calgary needs a Mayor who can unite and not divide. Someone who is willing to listen, work with every community – and treat people like friends and neighbours. That’s what I intend to do.
Public Consultation
There has been a major deterioration in the public consultation process under the current administration. The low point was reached when volunteer citizens looking into council compensation were completely disrespected when they presented their final report.
Under my leadership, this will change. A council led by me will respect and foster genuine public involvement in the decision-making process. Council’s business will be conducted in a timely and professional manner; it will not be conducted behind closed doors.
Green Line
The Green Line requires a rethink. The LRT project has a stated budget of $4.5 billion dollars without consideration for interest costs. The current phased-in plan doesn’t get the job done. Instead, the Green Line LRT must be constructed within the framework of a single, multi-billion dollar mega project. We should be working with industry suppliers in Canada and around the globe to find a way to make this happen.
Consider for a moment the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. It was a Calgary-conceived project which is now in its 20th year of operation. That bridge project is fully funded, and it is self-sustaining. That type of innovative solution making should be brought to the Green Line LRT project.
I will work to maximize that $4.5 billion to make sure that on opening day, the line can best serve the most number of Calgarians, in the most efficient and cost effective manner.
Public Safety
Crime is dramatically increasing on our streets, in our homes, and in public transit. And terrorism is no longer something that happens somewhere else. We need to adapt, and do it quickly. The recent city budget called for hiring 15 new people. Rather than more police officers, the new hires were communication managers. Let’s support police with enough front line officers to investigate property crime, gang activity, and drug crime to deter random violence. Let’s spend our tax dollars on keeping our city safe.
2026 Olympic Bid
I loved being here in Calgary for the 1988 Winter Games. It was a lot of fun and created a great sense of national and local pride. If we can make the 2026 Olympic Games work in a business model, I would support an Olympic bid.
But it has to make sense. Hosting the games can’t be a $2.4 billion dollar hit to taxpayers.
Midfield Park
Every Calgarian deserves to be treated with dignity. City Hall has an obligation to keep its word. A promise was made to the residents of Midfield Park that a solution would be found. They have to do right by these people. It’s hypocritical for City Hall to advocate for affordable housing, then treat people like this. A deal is a deal and the city backed out of its deal in 2014 when it cancelled plans to develop new trailer court at East Hills Estates.
Public Art
The public art program has to be fixed. In principle, I support public art, but the public must have greater involvement in the decision-making process. We need to put public back in public art and include more local artists.
Fluoride
We should at least be willing to listen to expert opinion on the issue of fluoride in the drinking water. This is a very divisive issue, but that shouldn’t deter council from making a tough fact-based decision.
Affordable Housing
We Calgarians take care of each other, and low income Calgarians need entry level housing. City Hall is Calgary’s largest landlord. But the private sector is more efficient at maintaining its affordable housing units. If the private sector does it better, don’t we owe it to our fellow citizens to give them the best affordable housing options? City Hall should be working with the private sector to make sure there are a wide variety of housing options available.
Biking
Biking is one of those issues that is important to some, and not important to others.
We need to balance bike traffic with road traffic. A lot has already been invested to make Calgary bike-friendly. We can’t just rip it up.
But, I only support bike paths where it makes sense. Safety and community must always come first. Any new paths must also be built at a reasonable cost to taxpayers.
Political Dialogue and Fair Treatment
Our City is built on modern, inclusive values. I’m a big tent, social progressive who believes that everyone should be treated fairly and equitably. Arrogance and dismissiveness and bigotry have no place in City politics. Diversity is how we get to the best ideas. And we need to respectfully listen to each other, even if we don’t agree with each other.