YOUR VOTE WILL COUNT ON MONDAY

The number of Calgarians casting ballots at advance polls suggests there’s unprecedented interest in Monday’s civic election. An impressive 74,965 ballots were registered in advance of general voting, compared to 22,410 in 2013 and 23,721 in 2010.

Calgarians are fortunate to have such a long list of candidates come forward and put their name on the ballot.

That, too, is evidence of the keen interest being demonstrated in the city’s civic elections.

The ballots will feature the names of 131 people when the choices for city council and school boards are combined.

Much of the focus, naturally, has been on the mayoralty race, which has incumbent Naheed Nenshi competing against nine others, including lawyer and businessman Bill Smith, who is a former president of the Alberta Progressive Conservative party. Coun. Andre Chabot has also been a presence in the mayoralty campaign, but if polls are correct, anti-Nenshi sentiment is coalescing around Smith.

In the 2010 election, Nenshi easily distanced himself from rival Jon Lord, a former alderman and MLA, running to victory with 74 per cent of the popular vote. This time around, some polls have shown Smith in the lead, which indicates our once hugely popular mayor is at risk of being brought back down to Earth.

Elections are tougher for incumbents when economic times have darkened, as they surely have in Calgary. Vacant downtown office buildings and the resulting tax ramifications for surrounding businesses have drawn scrutiny to city hall’s spending record. Indeed, Calgarians have consistently identified expenditures and property taxes as the key issues in this election — an observation that might not be so keen if the economy were performing better.

Frankly, though, paying attention to how public money is spent and how high taxes are set should be a priority for politicians in good times and bad. To a large extent, the city’s penchant for spending is what has put it in the unenviable position of ratcheting up taxes in recent years and now facing a worrisome shortfall in the year ahead and yet another prospect of tax increases.

University of Calgary economist Trevor Tombe says city spending has increased by nine per cent annually since 2007, compared to a combined increase of population growth and inflation of 3.7 per cent in those same years. “If you held those spending increases to the rate of inflation and population growth, that spending would be $750 million smaller,” said Tombe.

The focus on spending and taxation is welcomed, then, and the acknowledgment appears to be shared by not just ordinary Calgarians, but by those seeking to lead the city. It’s to be hoped that no matter who is elected, that the mayor and council will make getting Calgary’s fiscal house in order their greatest priority moving ahead. Anything less is unacceptable.

Polls conducted throughout the race indicate either Smith or Nenshi are likely to win Monday’s mayoral election. Polls don’t vote, of course — people do. Polls may provide a snapshot at a particular moment in time, but the ballots that are placed Monday — and the ones that have been cast in the days before — will determine the mayor, councillors and school trustees who are sworn into office.

We encourage Calgarians to become familiar with the platforms of the candidates and to play an active role in shaping the future of our city. It’s one thing to have an opinion.

It’s an entirely different achievement to get out and vote. Choose wisely.

Our once hugely popular mayor is at risk of being brought back down to Earth.