Jeromy Farkas

Jeromy Farkas is a Canadian fundraiser,[1][2] filmmaker,[3] athlete, columnist,[4][5] and former politician. He was elected to Calgary City Council in the 2017 municipal election to represent Ward 11 for a four-year term.[6]

Jeromy Farkas
City of Calgary Councillor
In office
2017–2021
Preceded byBrian Pincott
Succeeded byKourtney Branagan
ConstituencyWard 11
Personal details
Born1986
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Political partyUnited Conservative Party
Residence(s)Calgary, Alberta
Alma materUniversity of Calgary
WebsiteOfficial website

Farkas is the first and only Calgary City Councillor known to have declined the municipal pension and transition allowance. Following his term, the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation estimated that these rejected entitlements saved Calgarian taxpayers $308,234.[7][8]

He ran as a candidate for Calgary mayor in the 2021 municipal election on October 18, 2021,[6] placing second to Jyoti Gondek.[9]

Early life and education

Farkas was born and raised in the southeast Calgarian neighbourhood of Dover. His father left communist Hungary in 1956[10] and settled in Calgary.[11]

After graduating from Calgary's Bishop Carroll High School, Farkas pursued a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Calgary where he worked as the Executive Administrator for the Israel Studies Program and as a Research Team Lead in the Faculty of Medicine.[12]

Farkas served as a senior fellow specializing in municipal governance at the Manning Foundation for Democratic Education from February 2013 to January 2016. He was the project lead for the Council Tracker project and website. He published a report studying City of Calgary Council meetings, examining votes during that period to help the public better understand how council worked, voting blocs, time spent in confidential meetings, among other issues.[13][14] Farkas expanded the project to other cities throughout Canada, including Toronto.[15]

Prior to his run for Councillor in Ward 11, Farkas was a regular Calgary Herald columnist writing about local municipal issues,[16] particularly city council.[17]

Political career

Formerly president of the Wildrose Party's constituency association in Calgary-Elbow,[18] Farkas identifies himself as a fiscal conservative and social liberal.[19] He describes his political views as being motivated by an attitude that "you should have the biggest say in how you live your life... chasing, again, the best solutions rather than the ones based in ideology," and has been active in issues such as wildlife conservation and human rights activism.[19] He is openly bisexual, which made him Calgary's first openly LGBTQ male city councillor,[20] and played a key role in pushing the Wildrose Party to adopt a more progressive position on LGBTQ issues.[18]

Calgary City Council

From 2017 to 2021, Farkas was the Calgary City Councillor for Ward 11, comprising the neighbourhoods of Acadia, Bayview, Bel-Aire, Braeside, Britannia, Cedarbrae, CFB Currie, CFB Lincoln Park PMQ, Chinook Park, Eagle Ridge, Elbow Park (part), Elboya, Haysboro, Kelvin Grove, Kingsland, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Mayfair, Meadowlark Park, Mission, North Glenmore Park, Oakridge, Palliser, Parkhill/Stanley Park, Pump Hill, Rideau Park, Roxboro, Rutland Park, Southwood, Willow Park and Windsor Park. Prior to his term, Farkas served on the executive for the Palliser, Bay View, Pump Hill community association.[21]

Throughout his term, Farkas held monthly town hall events during which he answers questions from his constituents off the cuff.[22][23] When the COVID-19 pandemic rendered such events unsafe, he compensated by hosting weekly Facebook Live sessions.[24] He engaged in Council debate on issues such as Midfield trailer park's closure,[25] council compensation,[26] the Calgary Green Line,[27] the City of Calgary summer student hiring program,[28] business tax relief,[29] public art,[30] council time spent in closed-door meetings,[31] crime and safety,[32] the failed 2026 Calgary Olympic Bid,[33] and the arena deal.[34]

2021 Mayoral Campaign

On September 16, 2020, Farkas announced his candidacy for mayor in the 2021 Calgary municipal election.[6]

Farkas' ten-point platform included a four-year property tax freeze, support for the Calgary Police Service,[35][36] reform to the Council pension plan, support for single-family neighbourhood zoning, improvements to traffic-light synchronization, reduction of Council time spent behind closed doors, the construction of a rail connection between the inner-city and Calgary International Airport, improved snow removal, opposition to selling city parks, and reduction of business red tape.[37]

On October 18, 2021, Farkas placed second to Ward 3 councillor Jyoti Gondek.[9]

2023 Alberta Provincial Election

On December 1, 2022, Farkas announced that he would not stand as a candidate in the 2023 Alberta Provincial Election. In the weeks leading up to the election, he has served as a CBC commentator alongside former City Council colleague Naheed Nenshi as part of CBC Calgary's provincial political panel.[38]

Electoral record
2017 Calgary Municipal Election — Ward 11
Candidate Votes %
Jeromy Farkas 13,170 38.38
Linda Johnson 7,588 22.12
Janet Eremenko 6,890 20.08
Robert Dickinson 4,446 12.96
Keith Simmons 2,214 6.45
Total 34,308 100

References
  1. Toombs, Aryn (September 21, 2022). "Jeromy Farkas run for Big Brothers Big Sisters raises nearly $210,000". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  2. "Farkas surpasses fundraising goal for the Alex Community Health Centre". LiveWire Calgary. January 30, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  3. Krause, Darren (January 27, 2023). "Farkas Pacific Crest Trail finale screens at Calgary cinema". LiveWire Calgary. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  4. "Farkas: Working together as neighbours is the Calgarian way". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  5. "Farkas: We can promote Calgary's western roots and its amazing diversity". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  6. "Coun. Jeromy Farkas launches bid for mayor's seat in 2021 Calgary election | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  7. "Taxpayers release Naughty and Nice List". www.taxpayer.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  8. "Jeromy supports ending mayor's double pensions". Jeromy Farkas. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  9. "Jyoti Gondek elected as Calgary's first female mayor". CTV News Calgary. CTV News. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  10. "Column: Hungarian Revolution must not be forgotten". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  11. "About Councillor Jeromy Farkas". www.calgary.ca. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  12. Rieger, Sarah (October 9, 2021). "Meet a candidate for mayor: Jeromy Farkas". CBC News. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  13. Fletcher, Robson. "See how Calgary councillors vote on new tracking website from Manning Foundation". Metro News. Calgary. Archived from the original on August 13, 2015.
  14. Farkas, Jeromy. "Growing the Democratic Toolbox: City Council Vote Tracking". Manning Centre for Building Democracy – via Scribd.
  15. Fox, Chris (October 28, 2015). "Councillors in Toronto more likely to vote no than in other cities: think tank". CP24. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  16. "Farkas: How to ease congestion in Calgary". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  17. "Farkas: All talk and no leadership on affordable housing". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  18. "Local Wildrose official wants party to become champion of LGBTQ issues". Calgary Herald, June 3, 2016.
  19. "Jeromy Farkas weighs in on why he left the Wildrose constituency to run for Calgary city council". Calgary Journal, December 10, 2016.
  20. "The power and pitfalls of a diverse council". Metro, October 18, 2017.
  21. Bird, Kyra (October 6, 2017). "Ward 11 candidates face tough questions at final forum". Calgary Journal. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  22. "Snow clearing and Olympic bid dominate Farkas public forum". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  23. "Town hall attendees want their say before new arena deal". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  24. "Councillor Jeromy Farkas says he will support proposed Calgary bylaw banning conversion therapy | Globalnews.ca". QR Calgary. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  25. "Councillor's plans for Midfield Mobile Home Park falls flat". CTV Calgary, December 18, 2017.
  26. Potkins, Meghan (December 20, 2018). "City CFO apologizes for 'confusion' on salary numbers; Farkas says he's 'validated'". Calgary Herald. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  27. "City council approves Green Line, with conditions to keep it on budget". Calgary Herald. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  28. "Calls to reinstate summer student hiring after city program 'drastically' slashed". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  29. "Farkas dismisses council's tax rescue plan as 'half-baked', says he'll introduce his own". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  30. Tweten, Chad (March 11, 2020). "Arts workers concerned with city's decision to move public art program outside city". Calgary. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  31. "Farkas proposes end to 'excessive use' of closed-door council meetings". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  32. "Guest Opinion: City council is playing with fire by courting the 'abolish police' movement". calgarysun. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  33. "Danielle Smith: Jeromy Farkas raises red flags about Calgary's upcoming Olympics vote - Calgary | Globalnews.ca". QR Calgary. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  34. "Coun. Jeromy Farkas asking residents to weigh in on new arena". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  35. Villani, Mark (November 2, 2020). "'I would rather be fired': Farkas' police commission tenure ends". Calgary. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  36. "Farkas launches petition urging Calgarians to defend our police". Jeromy Farkas. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  37. "Farkas: From snow clearing to taxes, my 10-point plan will bring about real change". calgaryherald. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  38. "Naheed Nenshi and Jeromy Farkas on the latest statement of regret from Premier Danielle Smith".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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