City of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek listens during an announcement of the signing of agreements on the new NHL arena deal in Calgary on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. The City of Calgary says it has received notice of a recall petition against Mayor Gondek. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
CALGARY – The City of Calgary says it has received notice of a recall petition against Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
It says in a news release that the notice has been officially reviewed and deemed compliant with the Municipal Government Act.
The act was updated by the Alberta government in 2022 to allow eligible voters to file petitions to recall politicians, including mayors and municipal councillors.
The city clerk’s office says it’s the first notice of a recall petition that has been received in Calgary since the legislation took effect.
Gondek says in a statement that Calgarians put their faith in her to be mayor in October 2021 as someone who could bring balance and stability to the city at a time when polarized ideologies stood to divide.
The petitioner, who is listed as Landon Johnston, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The City of Calgary says the petitioner has 60 days to collect signatures from people who are eligible to vote for Gondek and submit the petition.
City clerk Kate Martin says the petition requires signatures from 40 per cent of Calgary’s population, which would be more than a half-million names.
