Calgary City Council Approves Motion to Study Municipal Lobbyist Registry

On Tuesday, Calgary City Council voted 13‑2 to approve a motion to explore creating a registry for lobbyists and special interest groups seeking influence at city hall. The motion, co‑signed by Mayor Jeromy Farkas and councillors Harrison Clark, Nathaniel Schmidt and Myke Atkinson, directs administration to review best‑practice models from other Canadian municipalities, define the registry’s scope and assess potential costs.

Council members said the registry would not stop lobbying but would make it more transparent. Clark noted “lobbying is conducted openly,” and Farkas stressed the importance of public oversight given the city’s large budgets and recent scandals. The initiative follows the disclosure of an RCMP investigation into alleged municipal corruption related to a prior council vote, although no charges have been laid.

Calgary currently lacks a mandatory lobbyist disclosure system; councillors’ meetings were previously required to be disclosed but became voluntary after the provincial government removed municipal codes of conduct. The new motion seeks to establish a formal mechanism to increase accountability.