A recent Leger poll suggests that more than half of Calgarians believe the city is on the wrong track. Out of the 451 residents surveyed, 55 percent said they believe Calgary is headed in the wrong direction, while 37 percent believe it is on the right track. The top issues facing the city, according to the survey, include housing prices and affordability, property taxes, and the economy. When it comes to handling these issues, 37 percent of respondents gave Mayor Jyoti Gondek a low score, with only 14 percent saying they are satisfied with her leadership.
The majority of survey respondents expressed dissatisfaction with Mayor Gondek’s handling of city issues, with the exception being alternative transportation such as bike lanes and walking paths. Only 24 percent of those surveyed said they voted for Gondek in the 2021 Municipal Election, and only 11 percent of those voters would choose her again if a municipal election were held tomorrow. Fifty-four percent of Gondek’s previous voters said they would vote for someone else.
The Leger report also revealed that 77 percent of respondents were aware of the recall petition against Mayor Gondek, with 58 percent saying they were informed about the campaign. While 47 percent of respondents supported the recall petition, 32 percent opposed it. However, only 29 percent of Calgarians who responded to the survey said they had signed or intended to sign the petition. Additionally, 42 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that only those who voted in the last municipal election should be able to sign the recall petition.
The online poll conducted by Leger surveyed 451 Calgary residents aged 18 or older. The margin of error for a sample size of this nature is no greater than 4.61 percent, with results weighted according to age, gender, and education to ensure a representative sample of the Calgary population. The survey results paint a picture of a city where a significant portion of the population is dissatisfied with the direction it is headed and the leadership of Mayor Gondek.
