Jyoti Gondek has become the least popular mayor in recorded history, according to ThinkHQ data.
1,116 Calgarians responded to the ThinkHQ survey, with only 30% approving of her performance, while 61% disapprove.
“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, President of ThinkHQ, an Alberta-based public affairs and communication firm.
Gondek’s slide in popularity comes after she announced a 7.8% residential tax increase. The property tax hike would result in an average increase of $16 a month, or $192 a year, per household.
Henry also noted that most of the polling was completed before Gondek’s recent decision to snub the annual Menorah lighting event, after the mayor said the event had become politicized.
“So there’s a fairly good likelihood her approval is actually lower than this now,” Henry said.
Nearly half of the respondents “strongly disapprove” of Gondek’s performance as mayor, while 18% “somewhat disapprove.”
Gondek says she won’t resign
Gondek said earlier this week that she won’t resign despite a petition that has called for her to do so after she snubbed the annual Menorah lighting event.
The Counter Signal’s Editor in Chief, Keean Bexte, asked Gondek to respond to the petition that has over 13,000 signatures calling for her to step down as the city’s mayor.
Gondek stuck to her original talking point, saying that “I made a very clear statement about why I chose not to attend the event.”
“There are measures in place in this province by which elected officials are monitored, how we are evaluated for our performance, and nothing that I have done is outside of that,” she responded.
Gondek supports drag queen story hour
Earlier this year, Mayor Gondek brought into effect a radical law that banned protesting drag queen events that target children.
Those found violating Gondek’s decree could face a $500 fine for simply protesting the grooming of children.
The next election isn’t slated until October 2025.
