Mayor calls special council meeting Tuesday over budget document leak
Mayor Jeromy Farkas has scheduled an emergency meeting for Sept. 8 after Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston admitted leaking confidential budget documents showing a potential 20.2% property tax increase.
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Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas called a special council meeting for Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 9:45 a.m. after receiving legal advice that a serious privacy breach may have occurred, citing potential safety risks to city personnel and significant financial or legal exposure to the municipality.
Ward 14 Coun. Landon Johnston acknowledged leaking preliminary budget documents to Global News that outlined over $500 million in operating expense increases and proposed property tax hikes throughout the next four-year budget cycle. Johnston said he leaked the documents to show transparency, arguing Calgary taxpayers should know what council is discussing regarding the fiscal plan.
Mayor Farkas called the 20.2 per cent figure a "wish list" reflecting the entirety of all budgetary requests coming before council this fall — not every request for funding increases will be approved. "Council is honestly a bit between a rock and a hard place here," Farkas said Thursday. "We want to provide as much information as possible, but to violate the confidentiality of some of our third parties could expose Calgary taxpayers to massive, massive financial burdens."
Johnston defended his decision, saying council appeared willing to meet behind closed doors on a budget proposing substantial tax hikes. He claimed in a private meeting July 28, council directed administration to return with a proposed tax increase of roughly 15 per cent for next year. Johnston accused Farkas Thursday of rallying support among colleagues to remove him from council. "The mayor is going to do everything he can to kick me off council. I'm okay with that," Johnston told media. Farkas denied those accusations, saying he had not seen evidence of colleagues calling for Johnston's removal.
Disclosing details of in-camera meetings may violate Alberta's Municipal Government Act, Section 153, which requires councillors to "keep in confidence matters discussed in private at a council or council committee meeting until discussed at a meeting held in public."
What legal consequences could Johnston face for violating confidentiality rules?
Will council move to remove Johnston, and what process would that require?
What is the actual tax increase the city needs for 2027, separate from wish-list requests?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
When is the special council meeting?
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 9:45 a.m.
What did Councillor Johnston leak?
Ward 14 Councillor Landon Johnston leaked preliminary budget documents to Global News outlining over $500 million in operating expense increases and proposed property tax hikes for the next four-year budget cycle.
What property tax increase figure was in the leaked documents?
The leaked documents showed a potential 20.2 per cent property tax increase, though Mayor Farkas characterized this as a 'wish list' of all budgetary requests rather than confirmed increases.
