A cautionary tale about wasted conversations

City councillors must listen to their constituents, writes

Once upon a time, progressive-leaning, inner-city candidates in Calgary could count on progressive-leaning inner-city constituents to vote them into office. This year may be different. While polls are notoriously unreliable and election results are often unpredictable, there are signs that voters may be leaning toward populist leaders who offer overly simplistic answers — framed in emotion — to complex questions. This shift may be directly connected to the frustrations that come out of City of Calgary engagement processes.

Corinne, a dedicated community volunteer, shared her take-away on years of engagement and the impact that will have on her vote: “I have been one of those community members attending public engagement sessions for local area planning . ... My time, my letters, emails, signatures on petitions, along with those of a great many other community-minded citizens, has been wasted.

“I feel as though it has been a sham: residents and business owners are asked for their time and thoughts, but when it comes down to a vote at city council all the community input goes by the wayside . ... In this election, I will be supporting a candidate who is willing to listen AND act on behalf of their constituents, regardless of our shared values.”

Corinne acknowledges her tipping point was council's recent approval of a change to the land use bylaw, a relaxation that doubles the current main street building heights. It is one of a series of approved zoning changes along Inglewood's bustling business street — a main street that consistently receives local, national and international accolades for its historic village scale and vibe.

Community and business leaders, encouraged by their elected representative to have “difficult conversations,” dedicated months of volunteer time to engagement on the land use change. There was overwhelming solidarity on opposition to the height increases; Inglewood has about 4,000 residents; 31,000 signed a community petition.

After hearing businesses' concerns, the Business Improvement Area (BIA) commissioned a planning firm to deliver a report on the Local Area Plan. Apparently, that engagement step infuriated some council members. Notably, the same elected representatives embraced recommendations made by the developer's consultants. One councillor's lack of impartiality was so transparent the BIA was compelled to submit a substantive complaint to the Ethics Commissioner.

Meanwhile, at city hall it was obvious who wielded greater influence; despite the bylaw change being rejected by over 90 per cent of the community and businesses, council voted 13-1 in favour.

Under the current Calgary city council, tokenistic engagement has too often become the norm. A tiny fraction of the population takes the time to engage (less than 500 Calgarians gave feedback at the hearing on the Guide for Local Area Planning, accounting for 0.03 per cent of Calgary's population). Those willing to contribute are often respected local volunteers who, unlike their elected representatives, have earned their community's trust.

Sadly, hearing many community leaders speak about the city's consultation processes (and subsequent outcomes) is like attending a group-therapy session. Participants begin their statements with “I feel,” followed by expressions of exhaustion, disappointment and betrayal. Given the contentious public response, from 75 communities in 14 Wards, to the Guide for Local Area Planning, it would appear “the people” want more control over the future of their communities. While there are exceptions, typically a result of a broad public backlash supported by the media, increasingly engaged Calgarians feel like they have been duped by the city into “checking off an engagement box.”

City councillors must listen to their constituents and representative organizations, but inevitably will have to make unpopular decisions. Still, progressive councillors — who employ rhetoric about “great communities” having “thoughtful conversations,” while proceeding to degrade citizen engagement — may soon be hearing from Calgarians who feel angry and powerless. As witnessed south of the border, the allure of populist leaders is hard to resist.

If the frustration of engaged citizens like Corinne is any indication, the upcoming election could determine whether populist political winds blow into Calgary this October.