CALGARY -- Calgary’s municipal election isn’t scheduled until next October, but city councillor Jeromy Farkas is making it clear he’ll be throwing his hat in the ring as a mayoral candidate.
The Ward 11 representative made the announcement Wednesday morning in a video posted to social media, promising to run on a platform of "responsible spending, transparency, and opportunity."
"Opportunity is what Calgarians need and opportunity is what city council must work to restore and renew for our city," Farkas said in the video.
"We need to bring back honesty and integrity back to city hall as we recover from the pandemic."
Farkas was first elected to council in 2017 at the age of 31, becoming one of Calgary’s youngest members of municipal government.
He refused to enrol in council’s pension plan and transition allowance on his first day as councillor and frequently speaking out against what he calls council’s "secret meetings."
"Keeping my word and turning down that pension was the easiest decision I have ever made, but it was also the most costly as it set me on a collision course with an out of touch establishment that in so many ways has put its interest ahead of yours," said Farkas.
In his campaign launch video, Farkas goes on to speak about how he fought to help residents receive increased compensation at the now demolished Midfield trailer park.
He says he remains resilient in his effort to help businesses with huge safety and security costs near the downtown drug injection site and will fight to protect core services like police and fire.
Other topics he touched on include his push for the complete plan of the $5 billion Green Line LRT project to be brought to taxpayers for their approval. He additionally touted his ask of council to use its reserve funds to provide relief for taxpayers following a "massive 7.5 per cent coronavirus tax hike."
A born and raised Calgarian, Farkas says he has deep roots in the city and is proud to call Ward 11 his home. He hails from a family of entrepreneurs and teachers and notes his proud Hungarian ancestry that escaped the communist regime in 1956 to carve out a better life in Calgary.
Farkas graduated from Bishop Carroll High School and went on to become an alumnus of the University of Calgary where he successfully ran the Israel Studies program for eight years. He is also a fellow of the Manning Centre, known for his work as the lead for the Council Tracker project, keeping tabs on City Council voting and time spent in closed-door meetings.
Farkas is the first official name on the mayoral ballot for Calgary’s next municipal election scheduled for Oct. 18, 2021.
Mayor Naheed Nenshi has not yet stated if he will seek re-election for a fourth term.
