Alberta minister scolds Calgary councillor over budget leak

Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams has told Calgary Coun. Landon Johnston that his leak of confidential city budget documents was “unacceptable,” but the minister’s letter sets out no penalty.

Williams shared letters to Johnston and to Calgary city council on his X account on Wednesday, Oct. 21. “Your actions are inconsistent with your duties as an elected councillor and were unacceptable,” he wrote to the Ward 14 councillor, CTV News reported.

Johnston has said he gave the documents to Global News in early September. They described a closed-door council meeting on July 28 that discussed a possible 20.2 per cent property tax increase to cover city department funding requests for the next four-year budget. Council never approved that figure, and it was not part of a proposed budget.

Johnston argued at the time that releasing the information would let Calgarians take part in the budget debate. The Canadian Press described him as apologetic but unrepentant.

In his letter, Williams said access to in-camera information “carries a clear obligation to protect it and comply with the legislative requirements governing closed council discussions,” adding that “confidentiality is not optional.”

The minister said the province is setting up a new Councillor Accountability Framework with clear rules on confidentiality and disclosure in closed sessions, and possible sanctions for councillors who break them. He did not say whether Johnston would face any consequence.

Johnston replied on social media that he will “always accept the consequences” of informing the public about the budget process but does not regret it. “Would I have done the same thing if I could go back? 100 per cent,” he wrote.

The province has also intervened in Edmonton this month, ordering the city to reverse its infill zoning rules.

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