Calgary mayor proposes new registry to boost accountability of elected officials

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas has announced a motion to establish a new registry aimed at increasing transparency and accountability among elected officials at City Hall.

Speaking to reporters outside council chambers on Thursday, Farkas said the proposed registry would allow residents to see who is attempting to influence public policy, who elected officials are meeting with, and whose interests are being represented.

“Calgarians deserve to know who is seeking to influence public policy, who they are meeting with and on whose behalf they are acting,” Farkas said.

He added that the initiative is intended to strengthen public trust in municipal government and ensure decisions are made in the best interests of residents.

“Now, more than ever, we need to demonstrate the decisions at City Hall are being made in the public interest and that our institutions are worthy of the confidence Calgarians place in them,” he said.

The proposal comes amid heightened scrutiny of Calgary’s municipal government following an ongoing RCMP investigation involving several current and former city officials.

In late March, it was revealed that Ward 10 Councillor Andre Chabot, former councillor Sean Chu, and former Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek are all subjects of an RCMP investigation. Details surrounding the investigation have not been fully disclosed.