'There has never been a city council this unpopular': Calgary mayor's approval rating sits at 30 per cent
As 2023 comes to a close, the latest ThinkHQ Public Affairs online poll has Calgary city council's report card sitting well below par.
It asked residents how they would personally rate council's performance since being elected.
"For as long as there has been municipal public opinion polling in Calgary, there has never been a city council this unpopular," said Marc Henry, ThinkHQ president.
"It's certainly a low point for this council."
ThinkHQ surveyed 1,138 Calgarians with only 30 per cent saying they "strongly" or "somewhat" approve of the job Mayor Jyoti Gondek is doing.
"She never did get off to a very good start," Henry said.
"The first time we checked on her approval, a few months into her term, she was at 38 per cent."
Henry says several decisions by the mayor have been bold and controversial, but these numbers are historic.
He says the poll took place during Gondek's "difficult" decision to not attend the lighting of the menorah at city hall, to mark the start of Hanukah.
"You've got a third of the sample that may have picked up on it but it also means that 30 per cent might be a little generous, given the controversy around that decision," Henry said.
"So her numbers may be in the 20s at this point."
The survey found that seven per cent of respondents "strongly approve" of the mayor, while another 23 per cent "somewhat approve" of the job she's doing.
However, 43 per cent of people strongly disapprove of Gondek and another 18 per cent somewhat disapprove.
For an overall council, the numbers were slightly better.
Each person was asked to evaluate the job their councillor has done so far.
Thirty-seven per cent say they approve, while 41 per cent disapprove. The rest are unsure.
"The mayor is usually ahead of the rest of council because they've got the highest profile, but in this case, profile doesn't work in her favour," Henry said.
Sixty per cent of respondents disapproved of the work council overall has done since being elected in October 2021.
"They're not improving and we're past the midpoint of the term,” Henry said.
"The political days are starting to get shorter for this council."
GONDEK TAKES POLLS 'VERY SERIOUSLY'
"The people that get targeted (in these polls) are those of us that serve in an elected capacity and so we take the results of those polls very seriously," Gondek said.
She admits many people are feeling the pinch when it comes to affordability.
"Our struggles right now are so intense," Gondek said.
"When you look at the state of housing, you look at the state of public safety, people are frustrated and that's what is showing up in these polls."
Ward 10 Coun. Andre Chabot says he's unsure how others could change their messaging to see a bump in the poll.
"I try and find some consensus or neutral ground, so if that results in my having better numbers, then others should consider emulating what I do," he said.
"I'm not suggesting that I'm the best but typically, I've scored really high on those polls, so maybe I'm doing something right."
The survey did not evaluate each councillor and their performance to date.
The survey took place between Dec. 5 and 11 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6975719.1721832068!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
WATCH LIVE Bank of Canada cuts interest rate, signals more to come if inflation keeps dropping
The Bank of Canada has decreased its policy interest rate for the second consecutive time and signalled more cuts are coming if inflation continues to ease.
Wildfire north of Calgary prompts evacuation alert, highway closures
A wildfire is prompting evacuations and highway closures north of Calgary.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
French authorities foil several plots to disrupt the 2024 Olympics in Paris
French authorities have foiled several plots to disrupt the 2024 Olympics, officials said Wednesday, two days before the opening ceremony of the Summer Games in Paris.
EXCLUSIVE Canadian company at the centre of alleged international pyramid scheme: authorities
Foreign governments say hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka lost savings to a company headquartered in Canada. This investigation from the IJF and CTV News shines a new light on how Canadian shell companies and registries were used to pull off the scheme.
Wildfire evacuees ordered to leave Jasper find relief after long journey to safety
Some wildfire evacuees who were trapped in traffic for hours while leaving Jasper National Park say they are feeling relieved to have found safety.
Pennsylvania state police commissioner reveals stunning details about Trump shooting
A local law enforcement commissioner revealed during a House Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday stunning new details about the security failures that led to the near assassination of Donald Trump, raising more questions for the embattled U.S. Secret Service.
Host city revealed for 2034 Winter Olympic Games
Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympic Games on Wednesday following a vote of the International Olympic Committee.
Plane crashes just after takeoff from Nepal's capital, killing 18 people. Pilot is lone survivor
A plane crashed Wednesday just after taking off from Nepal’s capital, killing 18 people and injuring a pilot who was the lone survivor.