Sonya Sharp’s bid to make Calgary safer and more affordable
By Anna Maxwell, October 16 2025—
Ward 1 Councillor Sonya Sharp, founder of the Communities First party, is running for mayor.
First elected to council in 2021, Sharp previously spent about two decades in municipal administration in roles across planning and the city manager’s office, and earlier operated small businesses in Calgary and B.C.
In an interview with the Gauntlet, Sharp identified public safety as a core message of her platform, and that making Calgary safe is her number one priority. She said she would meet the police chief on day one if elected.
“If you don’t focus on public safety and make your city safe, all the other things you want to do mean nothing,” she said.
She emphasized transit safety as well.
“We need to make transit safe for our students. We need to make our streets safe for those who drive, take a bike, walk. We need to make our neighbourhoods safe for our families,” she said.
Affordability and taxes are another big focus for Sharp. She said high property taxes and living costs are driving people away.
“The tax burden actually impacts everybody in our city,” she said.
She proposes cutting non-essential spending and shifting funds to core services.
“The most important thing is core services,” she said, pointing to roads, potholes, drinking water and snow clearing as essentials that get people moving every day. “[I would] surgically go through the budget to find things that everyday Calgarians would not be impacted if they were removed,” said Sharp.
Sharp plans to use city assets to expand housing.
“If we own those buildings, turn those into affordable housing, turn those into student housing,” she said.
She said leasing city land to build student housing at a minimal cost could prevent tax increases.
“We don’t need to increase taxes,” she said.
Adding more on transit, Sharp backed the completion of the Green Line LRT, but with caution. She called early plans a project on a budget that wasn’t realistic, but supports phase one to the airport and northwest to Brentwood and UCalgary as needed.
She said later phases through downtown must be more dissected to avoid crippling small businesses. She also urged the deployment of more transit officers and the provision of better station amenities.
“The more amenities we can put there, the safer it does become,” she said.
She also said a subsidized U-Pass for university students is essential to keep commuting affordable.
Sharp wants a more business-friendly city hall. She would create an infrastructure planning office in the mayor’s office and a business advisory council for development projects and permits.
“The city should never be a problem,” she said, pledging to cut red tape for entrepreneurs.
She cited her two decades in city administration — including running the city’s Business and Local Economy team through the COVID-19 crisis — as proof she understands Calgary’s economy.
Addressing U of C students, Sharp said she understands them.
“Students at the U of C need to vote for me because I get it. I have students [in my household] who are going through the same thing you are,” Sharp said.
“The cost of living here, the stress of finding a job after you graduate are real,” she said. “You’re a Calgarian, regardless if you’re a student or not, you’re a Calgarian, and your voice matters and this is not a one-and-done. I expect to have you know these conversations as I’m running, but I also expect that the students will want to talk to me after the election and talk about some of the issues they’re facing every day.”
Sharp’s platform is unapologetically policy-driven, shaped by her background in city administration and focus on measurable outcomes. Her priorities — public safety, fiscal discipline and reliable core services — reflect a technocratic approach that values efficiency over experimentation.
Proposals like repurposing city-owned buildings for student housing, maintaining the U-Pass and tightening spending align with her brand of practical governance.
For students, Sharp’s emphasis on affordability and safety feels grounded in real municipal mechanics, though it lacks the broader vision to address Calgary’s long-term economic and social shifts. Her Calgary is one defined by order and accountability — a city managed through policy precision rather than political ambition.
To vote in Calgary’s municipal election, you must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and a resident of Calgary on election day.
On Oct. 20, voters can cast their ballots for the city’s next mayor, as well as the councillor and school board trustee representing their ward.
For information on where to vote and how to get involved, visit www.electionscalgary.ca.