Naheed Nenshi, the current mayor of Calgary, has recently announced that he will be running for a second term as mayor. With an 88% approval rate, he is set to do well in the election – but what exactly is the reasoning for this approval rate, and what has he done for Calgary that he can show in his campaign?
Social Media
Though this isn’t one of the concrete, traditional actions that a mayor is usually reviewed on, it is one that Nenshi excels at. After his first election, many viewers commented on how he used social media to collect votes, and he’s continued to keep those people satisfied to this day. On Twitter, Nenshi has over 75,000 followers, and frequently tweets about different events going on in Calgary and responds to questions asked by citizens. Nenshi also regularly grants interviews to news stations, with his appearances in newspapers and on the radio being very frequent.
Transportation
Nenshi has ensured that construction of the airport tunnel, fighting off criticism, fulfilling that promise and helping to increase the flow of traffic in one of Calgary’s obstructed roads. This tunnel will offer Calgarians a more efficient ride to and from the airport, helping to make Calgary one of today’s modern cities. Nenshi has also worked with numerous city departments in the Cut Red Tape initiative (see below), allowing for complaints regarding everything the city handles, including problems with traffic or roads, to be heard and acted upon easier.
Cut Red Tape
Nenshi’s “Cut Red Tape” program promised to help remove many of the bureaucratic issues which were hindering Calgary’s growth and the everyday lives of Calgarians, something this program followed through with. This movement has made everything from reviewing bylaw requirements to registering for classes at recreation centres easier, helping the City to move at the fast paced life of many Calgarians. That’s not all cutting red tape has done, doing one more cut that has changed Calgary for the better. This program opened up food truck registration and permits in Calgary. Even on this blog, the benefits and variety created by the City are obvious. Blogs regarding food trucks abound, showing any visitor the amount of choices available for a hungry customer. Calgary has also become a city of international attention, with cities looking to expand their food truck businesses examining Calgary, and food truck entrepreneurs moving here, opening up business and selling trucks. Calgary’s downtown has become more vibrant and more accessible due to the cutting of red tape.
Since Nenshi was elected, he has changed Calgary for the better. His numerous innovations have made Calgary economically stronger and more welcoming to everyone who visits. The only question that can be asked now is if he will be able to continue this trend if elected for another term. Before he was elected, he was full of ideas, and if he wants to win another election, he will have to show Calgarians that he still has many more tricks up his sleeve and that he is ready to work for Calgary. Calgary made the right choice when we elected Nenshi, and I am confident that Calgarians will once again make the right choice in the next election, whether it be for Nenshi or another promising candidate.