Voting Record
Overview
| Item | Schmidt's Vote | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted against the freeze | Result: Defeated 5-10 | Date: 2025-12-03 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Moved it | Result: Carried 15-0 | Date: 2026-06-30 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted against elimination of Free Fare Zone | Result: Defeated 7-8 | Date: 2025-12-01 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted against elimination of free transit for children under 12 | Result: Defeated 7-8 | Date: 2025-12-01 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Moved it | Result: Carried 8-7 | Date: 2025-12-01 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Moved the amendment | Result: Carried 8-7 | Date: 2026-06-30 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted against elimination of Free Fare Zone | Result: 4 Amendments, read more below | Date: 2026-05-26 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Moved the amendment | Result: Carried 10-4 | Date: 2026-05-26 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted in favour once a multi-service public safety and community hub was added | Result: Carried 11-3 | Date: 2026-05-26 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted against all three division of votes | Result: 3 Votes, read more below | Date: 2026-05-26 |
|
Item:
Charitable Partner Program for Community Association Infrastructure |
Schmidt's Vote: Voted in favour | Result: Carried 15-0 | Date: 2026-05-26 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted in favour | Result: Carried 13-2 | Date: 2026-05-26 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted in favour | Result: Carried 10-5 | Date: 2026-04-28 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted against | Result: Carried 12-3 | Date: 2026-04-28 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Voted against due risk of duplicating work | Result: Carried 13-2 | Date: 2026-03-31 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Moved it | Result: Carried 14-0 | Date: 2026-04-28 |
| Item: | Schmidt's Vote: Moved it | Result: Carried 12-3 | Date: 2026-04-28 |
Details
Council rejects a 0% property tax freeze
2025 December 3 | Item 9.3.2 | C2026-0901 | DEFEATED 5–10 | Schmidt voted AGAINST the freeze
Summary: An amendment would have directed Administration to wipe out the previous Council’s approved 1.64% increase and set the 2026 property tax adjustment at zero, without touching police, fire or transit budgets.
What does it mean: The freeze failed, so the 2026 property tax increase proceeded.
Moved: Tyers, seconded Johnston.
Against the freeze: Yule, Pantazopoulos, Clark, Dhaliwal, Atkinson, Kelly, Chabot, Schmidt, Wyness, Farkas.
My Vote:
$6 million for traffic safety in every ward
2026 June 30 | Item 9.4.5 | EC2026-0562 | CARRIED 15–0 | Schmidt MOVED it
Summary: Directs Administration to use up to $6 million of the 2026 operating surplus for a strategic traffic safety pilot — flashing beacons and temporary corridor safety improvements — funded at equal levels in every ward, reporting back to Community Development by September 2026.
What does it mean: Ward 8 receives the same allocation as every other ward, and the report back lands this month.
Moved: Schmidt, seconded Dhaliwal. Unanimous.
My Vote:
Downtown free fare zone survives
2025 December 1 | Item 9.3.2 | DEFEATED 7–8 | Schmidt voted AGAINST elimination
Summary: An amendment would have eliminated the downtown Free Fare Zone, worth about $5.2 million a year, and applied the savings against transit frequency costs and the property tax increase.
What does it mean: The zone survived by one vote. It returned as a formal review in February 2026 and again as a deferral in May 2026.
Moved: Chabot, seconded Dhaliwal — who then voted against his own seconded motion.
My Vote: connects directly to your May 27 article. Frame as one continuous defence across three meetings.
Free transit for children twelve and under survives
2025 December 1 | Item 9.3.2 | DEFEATED 7–8 | Schmidt voted AGAINST elimination
Summary: An amendment would have ended the Free Fares for Children 12 and Under program, worth $3.6 million, effective July 1, 2026.
What does it mean: Children twelve and under still ride free.
Moved: Chabot, seconded Dhaliwal — who again voted against.
My Vote: clean, concrete, and easy for a parent to understand.
Tax break designed for purpose-built rental housing
2026 June 30 | Item 7.12 | EC2026-0018 | CARRIED 8–7 | Schmidt MOVED the amendment
Summary: Replaces the recommendation with direction to seek $130,000 to design a Purpose-Built Rental Tax Exemption Program, engage industry, and return to Executive Committee by Q3 2027 with bylaws for transit-oriented locations and a Greater Downtown high-rise scoping report.
What does it mean: A property tax incentive aimed specifically at new rental housing near transit is now on the drafting table.
Moved: Schmidt, seconded Atkinson.
Against: Ward, Jamieson, Tyers, Chabot, Wyness, Johnston, McLean.
My Vote:
Elimination of the Downtown free fare zone
Free Fare Zone Review - Deferral to Fare Strategy
2026 May 26 | Item 7.11 · IP2026-0286 Amendment 1 | DEFEATED 9-6 | Schmidt voted in favour of deferral
Summary: Amendment 1 – Defer the Free Fare Zone vote to Q1 2027 as part of the comprehensive fare review process already underway.
What does it mean:
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary of this item can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Free Fare Zone Review - Transfer to Downtown Strategy
2026 May 26 | Item 7.11 | IP2026-0286 Amendment 2 | DEFEATED 7–8 | Schmidt voted in favour
Summary: Amendment 2 – Explore the feasibility of moving responsibility for the FFZ from Transit to the Downtown Team for ongoing operations and budgeting as part of the Downtown Strategy.
What does it mean:
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary of this item can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Free Fare Zone - Further Downtown Engagement
2026 May 26 | Item 7.11 | IP2026-0286 Recommendation 3 | CARRIED 8–7 | Schmidt voted in favour
Summary: Amendment 3 – Undertake additional engagement with stakeholders in the Downtown including businesses, organizations, and arts organizations.
What does it mean:
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Free Fare Zone Review - Sponsorship Search
2026 May 26 | Item 7.11 | IP2026-0286 Recommendation 4 | CARRIED 10-5 | Schmidt voted in favour
Summary: Amendment 4 – Continue efforts to secure new sponsorship partners for the FFZ and report back at the September 9 Infrastructure and Planning Committee Meeting.
What does it mean:
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Safer Together Plan for public safety
2026 May 26 | Item 7.8 | CD2026-0081 | CARRIED 10-4 | Schmidt MOVED the amendment
Summary: Safer Together is a broad strategy outlining the City of Calgary’s plan to address public safety across our city. Calgary has had many individual strategies and initiatives related to public safety for many years, but this work has never been compiled into a single, dedicated strategy. Safer Together is the first time we have everything in one place under one plan.
What does it mean: The strategy is a comprehensive approach to public safety that takes everything we are doing as a City and creates a path for better collaboration between emergency services, social services, and community partners to achieve better public safety outcomes for Calgarians.
Moved: Schmidt.
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Downtown Police Station Needs Assessment
2026 May 26 | Item 9.4.14 | EC2026-0421 | CARRIED 11–3 | Schmidt voted in favour with the addition of “multi-service public safety and community hub” as part of the needs assessment process.
Summary: This directs Administration to work with Calgary Police Commission, Calgary Police Service, and community partners to undertake a needs assessment for a Calgary Police Service District Station or a multi-service public safety and community hub in Downtown Calgary.every other ward, and the report back lands this month.
What does it mean: This takes the first step to assess the need for a new police station or multi-service hub in downtown Calgary in response to public safety concerns. This proposal does not direct the police or Council to do more than determine its alignment with enforcement and safety outcomes, where it would go, and what it would cost with a report back to Council in Q4 2026 about the findings of the assessment.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary of this item can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Rescinding the Climate Emergency
2026 May 26 | Item 9.4.10 | EC2026-0375 | CARRIED 10–5 | Schmidt voted AGAINST rescinding
Summary: This rescinds the Climate Emergency Declaration from 2021 and directs Administration to cease all references to a Climate Emergency in all official City of Calgary materials and further directs them to no longer use the Climate Emergency as justification or authority for future decisions.
What does it mean: There is very little practical effect to this motion. Our primary tool for responding to extreme weather, environmental issues, and climate resilience is our Climate Strategy which is unaffected by the Climate Emergency declaration. There may be risks to future funding opportunities from other levels of government and reputational risks with community and government partners.
My Vote: There was a division into three separate votes. A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Charitable Partner Program for Community Association Infrastructure
2026 May 26 | Item 9.4.14 | EC2026-0424 | CARRIED 15–0 | Schmidt voted in favour
Summary: This will explore ways to establish a simplified way for Calgarians to donate to their local Community Association for capital repairs and maintenance.
What does it mean: Right now, it is difficult for Calgarians to donate to their Community Association and receive a charitable tax-receipt. The City of Calgary is a registered charity, and Community Associations are owned and supported by the City but leased to individual communities as independent entities.
This notice of motion will look at the problem created by this relationship and seek to create a framework for Calgarians to directly donate to their local Community Association and receive a tax receipt as they would for any other charity.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Local Area Plan Review - Limited Scale
2026 May 26 | Item 9.4.14 | EC2026-0427 | CARRIED 13–2 | Schmidt voted in favour
Summary: This will assess the resources needed to add limited-scale policies from other Local Area Plans like Westbrook and Heritage to the Chinook Local Area Plan. It directs further scoping to assess the work needed to evaluate higher-density urban form categories and building scales in certain areas of the Chinook Local Area Plan.
What does it mean: Adding limited-scale policies to all LAPs will provide consistency in Local Area Plan rules specifically for lower-intensity built forms like townhouses, rowhouses, duplexes, and single-family homes.
The assessment of higher-density categories and scales in the Chinook Local Area Plan is specific to this plan only and would require more intensive resources for consultation and engagement.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 27, 2026
Water Efficiency Plan and Bylaw
2026 April 28 | Item 9.4.1 | CD2026-0150 | CARRIED 10–5 | Schmidt voted in favour
Summary: The Water Efficiency Plan and Bylaw amendments are the result of Council-directed updates to the previous plan from 2005 and aligns with other recent plans like the Drought Resilience Plan passed in October 2023. The Plan seeks to achieve better water conservation by 2040 through gradually reducing water usage citywide by 20%. Although not required, engagement occurred with the public, industry stakeholders, and subject-matter experts from 2024-2025.
What does it mean: Changes to the bylaw include a rotating schedule for outdoor watering of established lawns and plants organized by odd and even numbered houses rotating three days of watering per week.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 4, 2026
Transit Transfer Extension
2026 April 28 | Item 9.3.1| CARRIED 12–3 | Schmidt voted AGAINST extension
Summary: Directs administration to begin the work to extend transfer times for transit tickets from 90-120 minutes. Estimates from available data showed this would affect 0.5% of transit riders for a cost of $2 million to be considered in the 2027-2030 budget.
What does it mean: This motion extends this time to continue to use the same ticket for 120 minutes.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 4, 2026
Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB) Review
2026 March 31 | Item 9.3.4 | CARRIED 13–2 | Schmidt voted AGAINST review
Summary: Directs Administration to engage KPMG as a consultant at a cost $1 million to engage in a ZBB review pilot of three City Business Units identified by Council. This would be followed by an additional $3 million of funding to continue the process if approved in the 2027-2030 budget.
What does it mean: ZBB is primarily used in the private sector and is a process that identifies and implements opportunities to improve “efficiencies” and identifies cost savings while maintaining an existing base level of service. Council implemented the same program beginning in 2011 and paused in 2020 with a final report delivered in 2023.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 4, 2026
Increased Parks maintenance funding
2026 April 28 | Item 9.4.7 | CARRIED 14–0 | Schmidt MOVED it
Summary: Provides an additional $1.7 million of funding from the Fiscal Stability Reserve for 2026 Parks maintenance service levels which includes mowing, pest management, public washroom cleaning, and garbage cleanup.
What does it mean: Over 95% of Calgarians use a City park at least once per year. Park maintenance was identified as the biggest concern. Parks funding has not kept up with inflation and City growth, and maintenance has suffered. This funding increase aligns with the Council-approved maintenance levels for future years being considered in the 2027-2030 budget service plans.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 4, 2026
Assured Income for Severely Handicapped (AISH) Advocacy
2026 April 28 | Item 9.4.3 | CARRIED 11–4 | Schmidt MOVED it
Summary: The Province is considering changes to the AISH program that will split eligibility into two categories and potentially affect funding levels and supports. This Notice of Motion asks the Province to come to the table and collaborate with affected parties, including municipalities, to better understand the potential effects on our residents and City-led services.
What does it mean: AISH recipients in Calgary live with constant financial uncertainty. The difference of even $100 a month can mean deciding between staying housed, buying food, or affording transportation. These changes have the potential to add additional pressure and cost to City-led services but regardless of this, Council has a responsibility to advocate for our constituents who have limited ability to adapt to financial uncertainty.
Moved:
My Vote: A detailed summary can be found here Latest Council Votes & Notices of Motion - May 4, 2026
Resources
- Participate in Public Hearings
- Council meeting agenda and minutes
- Have any questions? Email us at ward8@calgary.ca.