I've only really known 3 mayors in my time in Calgary.
Al Duerr seemed like a really nice guy....who did absolutely nothing to move this city ahead.
Dave Bronconnier, despite coming across a bit smarmy, did get few things done.... as long as they benefited him and his developer pals. You always got the sense Dave was in it for Dave, not the city.
Nenshi to me has always come across as a policy/research geek who is doing this out of sheer passion for smart city building, and his tenure so far has showed that he makes decisions based on research and data. He's also presided over Calgary as it's transformed into a much more cosmopolitan and forward-thinking city, and made decisions that have helped to expedite that.
Oh, and yeah he's a know-it-all who doesn't know when to shut up.
I don't know if he's the best mayor Calgary has had, but he's definitely been the best mayor I've ever had. I think he's exactly the type of mayor that this city has needed...one who has some long-term vision based on sound research and best practises. If he thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, it's probably because he is. I don't need to have a beer with my mayor, I need him to captain my city forward.
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