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Mayor's chair is Nenshi's for as long as he wants it, says councillor

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Mayor Naheed Nenshi announced Friday that he will seek a third term in office, saying there is much work to be done to ensure Calgary remains a city of safety, sanctuary and opportunity.

First elected in 2010 and again in 2013, Nenshi pointed to a list of accomplishments with him at the helm, including hundreds of millions of dollars invested in roads, transit, parks, recreation centres and fire halls.

“And we’ve worked hard to make government work better,” Nenshi said.

But he added there are big challenges ahead for Calgary and its citizens, including ongoing economic stress and social tension.

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“Far too many of our neighbours are feeling the pain of unemployment and the uncertainty of not knowing what the future holds,” he said.

“At the same time, around the world and here in Calgary, we’re seeing increased forces of hatred and of xenophobia, of people who would rather drag us apart than bring us together.

“But that’s not the Calgary way.”

While the city has welcomed people from all over the world to “this place of safety, of sanctuary and, above all, of opportunity,” Nenshi said that Calgary must become more resilient — both in terms of weathering economic challenges and natural disasters.

“We have to build an even better place to live,” he said.

“And that’s why I am announcing today that I will be a candidate for mayor in the elections in October 2017.”

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Nenshi, 44, won a surprise mayoral victory in 2010, campaigning on promises of greater transparency, smarter growth and what was described as politics “in full sentences.”

He gained international acclaim for his leadership during Calgary’s disastrous floods in 2013, the same year he was re-elected with 74 per cent of the popular vote.

In 2014, he won the World Mayor Prize, celebrated as an “urban visionary.”

Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart praised the mayor and his decision to seek re-election, adding his dedication to improving the lives of all Calgarians and efforts to work collaboratively with his colleagues and city staff speaks volumes. 

“Naheed and I have had our differences, and I’m sure we’ll continue to have our differences in the future, but as far as the man’s integrity and his vision for the city and him wanting to make it great for all … I know that’s near and dear to his heart,” she said. 

Colley-Urquhart confirmed she would seek a sixth term as councillor in Ward 13 and dismissed rumours she would run for mayor. She also doesn’t think anyone could reasonably beat Nenshi in next October’s election. 

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“The job is Naheed’s for as long as he wants it,” she said. 

However, critics have taken the mayor to task for steady increases in property taxes, and argued Nenshi and council have not exercised sufficient economic restraint during the downturn.

Detractors of the city’s cycle track network have been critical of the mayor’s support of the strategy.

And Nenshi has been involved in a number of public disputes in office.

Last year, he upset council colleagues after he said publicly he’d heard complaints of councillors getting drunk in public. This year, he was caught on a Lyft video calling the head of ride-share service, Uber, a “dick.”

He was also sued for defamation by home builder Cal Wenzel, with the two men reaching an out-of-court settlement in 2015.

But despite those “missteps” Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said Nenshi still enjoys considerable support.

“Mayor Nenshi is still the most popular mayor in probably North America … Even those who disagree with this or that policy or action on his part, they know he is passionate about Calgary and they know he is fighting for us as best he can at whatever level he can. And quite often doing a good job.”

Williams said that barring any unforeseen development or weakness, Nenshi likely killed the chances of any serious challenger by declaring so early.

“Any of the people who would be serious contenders, as it stands today, they would not have a chance of winning against him, so why go to the time and trouble of doing that? Especially when Calgarians appear to be pretty satisfied with the leadership they’ve got.

“They’ll probably sit out another four years and see if the winds have changed.”

— With files from Trevor Howell

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