Councillors debate 'electioneering' accusation while passing two notices of motion worth millions in funding
A notice of motion from Mayor Jyoti Gondek Tuesday didn't sit well with a group of Calgary city councillors, who accused the mayor of 'electioneering' and attempted to postpone the proposal until next November's budget deliberations.
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The accusation led to councillors trading barbs as they debated the motivations behind two, separate notices of motion that each passed.
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Gondek's motion, which was approved in an 8-5 vote, proposed to use $20 million from the 2024 Enmax dividend to support deferred maintenance through the Facilities Management Annual Investment Program.
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The funding would be disbursed over three years and could support various community amenities and volunteer-driven projects, according to Gondek, such as seating and lighting enhancements, shade structures, or murals and community gardens.
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Dissenting councillors included Sonya Sharp, Dan McLean, Terry Wong and Andre Chabot, who are members of the Communities First party, and Sean Chu.
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Early into the discussion, Chabot moved to postpone the item until the November 2025 budget deliberations, which will be led by a new-look council. However, his referral motion failed 6-7.
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Sharp, who is running against Gondek for mayor this fall, said she wasn't opposed to Gondek's idea, but called the timing of the motion 'convenient' and argued it falls outside of council's typical budgeting process.
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'It's not a no — it's a why now?' Sharp told reporters ahead of the discussion.
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'It's placed conveniently prior to some decisions that need to be made for budget, and we haven't, as a council . . . even had those conversations yet. I don't believe we even see the next budget update for this cycle coming up until May or June. So why now?'
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