A Freedom of Information request by the Western Standard to obtain taxpayer-funded costs of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s private security detail has been denied..In an effort to obtain the costs of Gondek’s private security detail for three months following her installment as Calgary’s newest Mayor, the Western Standard filed a request for information with the city..Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) Coordinator and Deputy City Clerk Nicole Dengis released details on the city’s corporate security operating budget and actual spending for the requested timeframe — Oct. 18, 2021, to Jan. 17, 2022 — but included “all security services provided to the entire city.”.Corporate Security in Calgary protects city employees, the mayor, members of council, information assets and infrastructure, citizens and visitors, internal partners, regulatory bodies and the media..“Records were received and identified to be responsive from the Business Unit of the Mayor’s Office,” said Dengis, in the city’s final response to our request..“After considering all relevant factors, it is decided to refuse access to the requested information in its entirety under the FOIP Act..“The information is withheld pursuant to section 18(1) — Disclosure harmful to individual or public safety.”.According to the FOIP Act, it says:.18(1) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant information, including personal information about the applicant, if the disclosure could reasonably be expected to:.Threaten anyone else’s safety or mental or physical health, orInterfere with public safety..(2) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant personal information about the applicant if, in the opinion of a physician, a regulated member of the College of Alberta Psychologists or a psychiatrist or any other appropriate expert depending on the circumstances of the case, the disclosure could reasonably be expected to result in immediate and grave harm to the applicant’s health or safety..(3) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant information in a record that reveals the identity of an individual who has provided information to the public body in confidence about a threat to an individual’s safety or mental or physical health..Despite only requesting costs associated with Gondek’s private security detail, the city said Corporate Security’s annual budget, pro-rated for the three months requested, totalled $6,064,248 — $24.3 million annually, for the entire city..Of that pro-rated budget, the city said it spent $4,681.815 on security expenses for the three-month period..In addition to Corporate Security’s services provided to the mayor and members of city council, councillors approved up to $120K for security on their private homes, allowing each sitting member of council to be reimbursed up to $8,000 to purchase security systems and an additional $100 per month for the monitoring of those systems..The decision was made after Gondek and Ward 9 councillor Gina-Carlo Carra had protestors visit their homes in January..Despite seven councillors voting against the motion brought forward by City Manager David Duckworth, Gondek had the deciding vote..Councillors who voted against the motion argued taxpayers should not be on the hook for their security expenses. It’s the job they signed up for when running for public office..As of January 1, 2022, a 1.6% pay increase brought Calgary councillor pay to $115,138.84 and the mayor’s pay to $203,795.78. That does not take into account each member’s expense and car allowances..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
A Freedom of Information request by the Western Standard to obtain taxpayer-funded costs of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek’s private security detail has been denied..In an effort to obtain the costs of Gondek’s private security detail for three months following her installment as Calgary’s newest Mayor, the Western Standard filed a request for information with the city..Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) Coordinator and Deputy City Clerk Nicole Dengis released details on the city’s corporate security operating budget and actual spending for the requested timeframe — Oct. 18, 2021, to Jan. 17, 2022 — but included “all security services provided to the entire city.”.Corporate Security in Calgary protects city employees, the mayor, members of council, information assets and infrastructure, citizens and visitors, internal partners, regulatory bodies and the media..“Records were received and identified to be responsive from the Business Unit of the Mayor’s Office,” said Dengis, in the city’s final response to our request..“After considering all relevant factors, it is decided to refuse access to the requested information in its entirety under the FOIP Act..“The information is withheld pursuant to section 18(1) — Disclosure harmful to individual or public safety.”.According to the FOIP Act, it says:.18(1) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant information, including personal information about the applicant, if the disclosure could reasonably be expected to:.Threaten anyone else’s safety or mental or physical health, orInterfere with public safety..(2) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant personal information about the applicant if, in the opinion of a physician, a regulated member of the College of Alberta Psychologists or a psychiatrist or any other appropriate expert depending on the circumstances of the case, the disclosure could reasonably be expected to result in immediate and grave harm to the applicant’s health or safety..(3) The head of a public body may refuse to disclose to an applicant information in a record that reveals the identity of an individual who has provided information to the public body in confidence about a threat to an individual’s safety or mental or physical health..Despite only requesting costs associated with Gondek’s private security detail, the city said Corporate Security’s annual budget, pro-rated for the three months requested, totalled $6,064,248 — $24.3 million annually, for the entire city..Of that pro-rated budget, the city said it spent $4,681.815 on security expenses for the three-month period..In addition to Corporate Security’s services provided to the mayor and members of city council, councillors approved up to $120K for security on their private homes, allowing each sitting member of council to be reimbursed up to $8,000 to purchase security systems and an additional $100 per month for the monitoring of those systems..The decision was made after Gondek and Ward 9 councillor Gina-Carlo Carra had protestors visit their homes in January..Despite seven councillors voting against the motion brought forward by City Manager David Duckworth, Gondek had the deciding vote..Councillors who voted against the motion argued taxpayers should not be on the hook for their security expenses. It’s the job they signed up for when running for public office..As of January 1, 2022, a 1.6% pay increase brought Calgary councillor pay to $115,138.84 and the mayor’s pay to $203,795.78. That does not take into account each member’s expense and car allowances..Melanie Risdon is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.mrisdon@westernstandardonline.com
