Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says his last two years in office have not all been about bike lanes and food trucks.
In a letter to Calgary residents highlighting what council has accomplished during his time in office, the popular mayor noted that bike lanes and food trucks have certainly added to the fabric of the city but that it's in the way the city does business that the real and profound changes can be found.
While using food trucks as an example of cutting red tape, he says eliminating Calgary's stand-alone business tax has put the city on par with other Canadian cities.
"The Cut Red Tape initiative is already yielding results, saving businesses who deal with The City many hours and thousands of dollars," said Nenshi.
The letter highlights some major changes that have been made during his term, such as removing the three dollar park-and-ride free at Calgary Transit stations, investing in a new Central Library and four new recreation centres and improving snow removal in the city.
"Some more systemic changes will take more time, but we have laid a strong groundwork that will make Calgary an even better place to live in the future," he said.
The letter also states that crime rates in Calgary are the lowest in a generation and that Calgarians report that they feel safe in the city.
Additionally, the mayor said the city continues to work on improving Calgary Transit, making Calgary a more vibrant city and creating a Charter, to ensure that Calgary can continue to grow without "bickering and buck passing between governments."
But not everyone is happy with what the Calgary mayor has to say.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney reportedly told Nenshi to stop criticizing federal funding.
Calgary receives its "fair share" of funding, he said and reminded the mayor that "we have made huge additional investments in infrastructure in Calgary,” the Calgary Herald reported.
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