Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston is facing criticism in city hall after he acknowledged he leaked confidential documents about Calgary’s upcoming budget.
Johnston said he shared documents showing preliminary discussions about the city’s four-year budget, which council is scheduled to debate later this fall, because it was in the public interest. He argued taxpayers should know council was considering an “unconstrained budget,” so they could be brought into the decision-making process.
“It is time for this council to stop turning taxpayers upside down and trying to shake out more money. It’s time we look internal, and there’s got to be cuts,” said Johnston.
“If they want to kick me out of in-camera meetings, so be it. They’re just going to be attacking the whistleblower rather than the problem.”
CBC News has confirmed council directed city administration to create a preliminary budget scenario that included a 15-per-cent property tax increase next year, followed by subsequent annual hikes of 12.5 per cent in 2028, nine per cent in 2029 and six per cent in 2030.
But Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the publicized proposed tax hikes are early numbers and essentially represent a wish list of budget items. He said council decisions throughout the year create a running tally that’s further increased by asks from city departments, civic partners and third parties like the police commission, as well as the stressors of a growing population.
The asks all lead to a large number, Farkas said, which council then works to bring down by focusing on what the city’s budget really needs. He added council has not adopted a proposed figure for a property tax hike.
“Let’s actually have a conversation about the real numbers, and there’s no number to discuss at this point. We know that everybody’s coming out of the woodwork asking city hall for money, especially at a time when the provincial government is cutting back,” said Farkas.
“There’s a lot of things that are wishes, and council’s job is to say no. Council’s job is to focus on our priorities.”
Farkas said his focus in this fall’s budget will be to properly fund essential infrastructure, especially in the wake of the Bearspaw feeder main replacement, and public safety.
He added he’s concerned leaked documents could reveal third-party information that council is legally expected to protect. Breaking that confidentiality could lead to severe financial penalties for the city, Farkas said.
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said on Thursday city council has not agreed on a proposed property tax hike for this fall’s budget. (Brendan Coulter/CBC)
In the meantime, Farkas said council intends to hold city administration to prove any tax hike goes towards critical needs for the city, and to be as transparent in the budget process as possible.
Johnston calls for more creative budget cuts
Johnston argued the preliminary tax-hike scenario is not a wish list, but instead an example of a council that has trouble saying no and a mayor unable to make hard decisions.
“To say that there has to be a tax increase, well, you’re just not creative enough on making cuts. That’s up to this council to find where the cuts are needed,” said Johnston.
“Fifteen per cent is not OK. That is going to drive economic activity away from the city. People are going to start leaving.”
Johnston pointed to funding for the city’s office conversion program, and for the design of a proposed YMCA and Calgary Public Library location, as examples of issues that are not core spending.
“People want to see value for their taxes and we’re not getting it with this leadership,” said Johnston.
“If you’re going to run a household income, you don’t go and buy a new truck if your water doesn’t turn on. You prioritize.”
When asked about possible repercussions he could face for sharing the budget documents, Johnston argued he’s not the first city councillor to leak confidential information — he’s just the only one not to hide behind anonymity.
During last fall’s budget debate, city council wrestled a larger property tax hike down to less than two per cent. Months later, the provincial budget introduced an education property tax hike that raised the typical Calgary homeowner’s property tax bill roughly six times as much as council had in its city budget.
Municipal code of conduct needed: Yule
Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Yule echoed Farkas’s argument on Thursday that the leaked tax figures are preliminary numbers tied to a wish list of budget items. He said he’s disappointed Johnston didn’t honour the document’s confidentiality.
“It’s difficult to say anything other than that, because I take my oath of office very seriously,” said Yule.
“My integrity is making sure that I keep confidential information confidential. And if other councillors want to break that confidentiality, there should be consequences for that.”
He hopes the provincial government is paying attention to what he argued should be a breach of a municipal code of conduct. Without that code of conduct, he noted there will likely be no repercussions for the leak.
The province eliminated all municipal codes of conduct in 2025, arguing they were being used as political weapons. Earlier this year, the province said it plans to propose a universal code of conduct for Alberta.