Platform to concentrate on affordability, public security and infrastructure, together with tax freeze
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Simply over a 12 months out from Calgary’s subsequent municipal election, former Ward 6 councillor and 2021 mayoral candidate Jeff Davison has revealed his intention to run for mayor once more.
Davison, who’s the primary to declare candidacy for subsequent fall’s mayoral race, made the announcement at Scotsman’s Hill on Thursday.
“It’s about management, it’s about trying on the concept of bringing individuals collectively, discovering that compromise, and approaching options with a center floor,” he stated.
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His platform will concentrate on affordability, public security and infrastructure, with the centrepiece being a promise to freeze municipal property taxes at 2025 ranges for 4 years, if elected.
Acknowledging such a promise would require a majority approval amongst metropolis council, Davison argued {that a} four-year tax freeze could be potential by slicing wasteful division spending.
“If you begin to consider planning division budgets which have tripled over the past three years and it’s taking 3 times as lengthy to get growth permits by — that’s one instance of the place we’re spending cash that we’re not getting a return on,” he stated.
“I feel there’s a number of waste and when you think about it, having been on the within and now on the surface, (I) know the place to look.”
Davison beforehand served council from 2017 to 2021 because the Ward 6 consultant, earlier than his unsuccessful run for the mayor’s seat. He in the end completed a distant third in 2021 behind front-runners Jyoti Gondek and Jeromy Farkas, in a crowded mayoral race that included 27 candidates. Davison ended the election with 13 per cent of the vote, or simply over 50,000 ballots.
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“Each election is totally different and also you be taught rather a lot within the 4 years,” he stated, of his motive to run once more. “I take a look at it proper now and say what’s totally different is we don’t have belief anymore. Residents don’t have belief in metropolis council and I feel they’ve grow to be an elitist and entitled group of people. Persons are searching for a change.”
Throughout his time at metropolis corridor, Davison’s most noteworthy achievement got here as head of council’s occasion centre evaluation committee, which spearheaded the earlier area take care of the Calgary Flames possession group in 2019. The deal collapsed two years later, shortly after the 2021 election and simply earlier than development was set to get underway.
If elected, Davison stated he would roll again blanket rezoning, calling council’s approval of latest zoning rules final spring undemocratic.
With subsequent 12 months’s civic election the primary to incorporate the introduction of political events, Davison stated he’s not “closing the door” to the social gathering system, however that he’s not presently affiliated with any municipal social gathering.
“We have already got two events, whether or not you prefer it or not or knew it,” he stated. “We’ve the ‘sure mayor’ social gathering and the naysayer social gathering. Do you suppose that’s working for Calgarians?”
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After a query from a public attendee about council’s local weather emergency declaration in 2021, Davison stated he would favor to have a look at it as a local weather alternative.
Since his exit from politics, Davison has served as CEO of the Prostate Most cancers Centre since 2022.
A Calgary native, Davison spent 20 years in varied communications roles after graduating from the College of Calgary, primarily with firms within the power and know-how sectors, earlier than coming into politics. He additionally studied broadcast journalism at SAIT and was managing companion of a movie manufacturing firm known as Paper Films.
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