Council Accountability

Calgary City Council Council Accountability

The City of Calgary Council (“City Council”) is the governing body of The City of Calgary and the custodian of its powers, both legislative and administrative. The proper operation of democratic municipal government requires that elected officials be independent, impartial and duly responsible to the public.

The role and responsibilities of a Councillor are set out within the Municipal Government Act R.S.A. 2000, c. M-26. In order to promote transparency and accountability and to meet any legislated requirements, City Council has established policies and bylaws that guide Councillor conduct and require regular disclosure.​​​​

News

February 24, 2020

Council approves Notice of Motion to strengthen transparency, governance and oversight of expenses. Read more​.

Code of conduct for elected officials

The City of Calgary Council is committed to fostering and achieving high standards of ethical conduct by members of Council. The Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw (26M2018) (the “Bylaw”) establishes rules a Member of Council must follow in the discharge of their office and the powers and procedure of the Integrity Commissioner in exercising oversight over Members of Council.

This Bylaw meets the Municipal Government Act R.S.A. 2000, c. M-26 requirement for The City of Calgary to establish a bylaw code of conduct governing the conduct of members of Council.

The Integrity and Ethics Office has more information on the Integrity Commissioner and Ethics Advisor.

Council disclosure statements

As outlined in the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw (26M2018), a Member must disclose their real estate and financial holdings in accordance with the Disclosure Policy for Members of Council (CC044, 2014 November 04).

For information relating to archived reporting periods, please email the Office of the Councillors

Current Council 2021-2025

Council budgets and expenses

As outlined in the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw 26M2018, a Member, must disclose information on budgets and expenses to the Office of the Councillors in order to permit that Office to disclose those budgets and expenses as required by the Councillors' Budgets and Expenses Bylaw 36M2021 and the Posting Councillor Ward Budgets and Expenses Policy CC027​.

Budgets and expense reports are updated quarterly.​

2024 Budget and expenditure

2023 Budget and expenditure

2022 Budget and expenditure

2021 Budget and expenditure

2020 Budget and expenditure

2019 Budget and expenditure

2018 Budget and expenditure

2017 Budget and expenditure

Event expenses

On February 24, 2020, Council directed Administration to improve the transparency and data accessibility of all Council event-related transactions incurred by Councillors and Office of the Councillors (OOTC). The City has completed this work dating back to 2017, similar in form and content to expense disclosures for the Senior Management Team. The reported expenses include those related to the conduct of business including travel, registrations, meetings and employee events and recognition. The reports exclude any expenses published elsewhere, such as in Ward expense reports.

Event expenses 2017 - present

Archived reporting periods

For information relating to archived reporting periods, please email the Office of the Councillors

Council gifts and personal benefits​

As outlined in the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw (26M2018) (the "Bylaw"), a Member must disclose Gifts and Personal Benefits as required by section 35 of the Bylaw on a quarterly basis.

Section 35 of the Bylaw states, in part, that a Member must disclose all Gifts and Personal Benefits received with a value in excess of $50, except those received pursuant to a person’s volunteer time or activities provided to further the interests of the City or the Member’s Ward and should describe and/or include a photograph of the Gift or Personal Benefit, including its value if known; and indicate the source of the Gift or Personal Benefit, and the circumstances under which it was given or received.

Gifts or Personal Benefit received pursuant to s. 34(c), (d), (f) and (i) of the Bylaw must not have a value in excess of $500.00.

2024 Mayor's Office Gift Registry

2024 Councillor Gift Registry by ward

2023 Mayor's Office Gift Registry

2023 Councillor Gift Registry by ward

2022 Mayor's Office Gift Registry

2022 Councillor Gift Registry by ward

2021 Mayor's Office Gift Registry

2021 Councillor Gift Registry by ward

2020 Councillor Gift Registry by ward

2019 Councillor Gift Registry by ward​

2018 Councillor Gift Registry by ward

2017 Councillor Gift Registry by ward

For information relating to archived reporting periods, please email the Office of the Councillors

Fundraising for Members of Council

The purpose of the Guidelines for Fundraising by Members of Council (PFC2017-0426), is to provide guidance about the appropriate practices and procedures for fundraising, accounting for received donations, and administering surplus funds. Pursuant to Section 6.1, Members of Council should provide appropriate disclosure of all fundraising activities.

The Guidelines for Fundraising for Members of Council Disclosure Guidelines provide specific details on what should be disclosed. Pursuant to Section 2e) of the Disclosure Guidelines, such fundraising activities should be reported in a reasonable time.

Please note, only those Members of Council who had fundraising activities will report activities in the year such activities occurred.

2019

Council visitor registry

Pursuant to Section 30 of the Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Bylaw (26M2018), subject to a visitor’s consent, which the visitor must be encouraged to provide, a Member must disclose quarterly a list of persons with whom they or their staff have met in their offices, excluding media and City employees.

For information relating to archived reporting periods, please email the Office of the Councillors

2024 Council visitors

2023 Council visitors

2022 Council visitors

2021 Council visitors

2020 Councillor visitors

2019 Councillor visitors

2018 Councillor visitors

2017 Councillor visitors

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Council duties, compensation and benefits

The Municipal Government Act R.S.A. 2000, c. M-26 outlines the role of a Councillor and how City Council can make decisions through bylaws or resolutions.

On September 23, 2002, Council passed Bylaw 31M2002 which established the Council Compensation Review Committee (“CCRC”). This Committee is responsible for making recommendations to Council regarding its remuneration, pension, benefits and other forms of compensation, or levels thereof.

Council Compensation and Benefits

Council compensation

On September 23, 2002, Council passed Bylaw 31M2002 which established the Council Compensation Review Committee (CCRC). This Committee is responsible for making recommendations to Council regarding its pay, pension, benefits and other forms of compensation, or levels thereof.

CCRC’s were subsequently formed every few years to market benchmark Council compensation and make recommendations for changes.

In July 2006, Council accepted the CCRC recommendation to use the annual change in the Alberta Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) as the basis for future pay increases and to increase Council pay by 6% (effective as of Oct 22, 2007). The AWE formula has been used ever since.

On May 29, 2017, Council accepted CCRC’s recommendation that “Council vote, before each election, to accept or reject the use of the Alberta Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) indicator for the next four year term” and its recommendation to reduce the Mayor’s salary by 6% to $200,747 and to leave the Councillor salary at $113,416.

For 2018, the AWE change was -0.08% and Councillor pay was reduced to $113,325.63 and the Mayor’s pay reduced to $200,586.40

On Dec 17, 2018, Council voted to freeze its pay for 2019.

On Nov 18, 2019, Council voted to freeze its pay for 2020.

On Nov 2, 2020, Council agreed to freeze its pay for 2021 and to apply the AWE formula for the next Council.

As of January 01, 2022, based on AWE, Council pay increased 1.60 % to $115,138.84 for Councillors and 203,795.78 for the Mayor.

As of Jan 1, 2023, based on AWE, Council pay increased 2.41% to $117,913.69 for Councillors and $208,707.26 for the Mayor.

As of Jan 1, 2024, based on AWE, Council pay increased 2.41% to $120,755.41 for Councillors and $213,737.10 for the Mayor.

Benefits

Pursuant to the Elected Officials Be​nefit and Pension Policy (CC038, 2009 November 19), Members of Council are eligible to participate in a benefits plan that is similar to the benefits provided to City Senior Management. Some benefits are optional and may require a premium to be paid by the Elected Official. An enrolment package and details are provided after each Elected Official has been sworn in.

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Pension plans

Pensions for elected officials at The City of Calgary, which include the Mayor and City Councillors, are governed by the Pension Plan for Elected Officials of The City of Calgary (“EOPP”). The EOPP is a contributory defined benefit pension plan.

At each election, elected officials are provided with the EOPP Member Handbook, which summarizes the EOPP plan. A glossary is provided at the end of the handbook as a reference. For a precise interpretation of the EOPP, the official EOPP plan document must be referenced.

The EOPP is registered under the Alberta Employment Pension Plans Act and the Income Tax Act. EOPP members are required to make contributions to the plan. The City of Calgary is responsible for the balance of the funding requirements.

Information regarding the issuance of donation receipts

There have been recent reports regarding the efforts of a committee working to secure donations to The City of Calgary in an amount equivalent to the external legal fees and disbursements paid by The City as a result of a lawsuit involving Mayor Naheed Nenshi. The City wishes to provide additional information in regard to this matter.

Council amended its Indemnification of Members of City Council Policy (CC010, 1977 August 22) on March 14, 2016. As a result, Mayor Nenshi was required to donate an amount to The City equivalent to these fees and disbursements and/or to solicit donations to The City in this amount.

As has been reported, a committee has been seeking to secure these donations.

As a registered municipality, The City is entitled to receive donations and issue official donation receipts. All donations are being deposited into The City's general revenue account.

The City of Calgary will not be commenting on this further at this time.

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