Cat’s Track #107 – Councillor Jeromy Farkas

Welcome to Cat’s Track Episode 107, with guest Councillor Jeromy Farkas.

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Jeromy was elected in 2017 on a mandate of fiscal responsibility, transparency and accountability. As he heads into the final year of his first term, the Ward 11 City Councillor has kept his promises and maintained his commitment to listening and acting on behalf of his constituents.

Heralded as the grassroots change maker of Calgary City Council, Jeromy has stuck to his principles and is committed to carrying out the will of his constituents.

This commitment is evident in Jeromy’s popular monthly in-person town halls – an election promise that has grown to become a crowd favourite. These typically standing-room only events bring people of all stripes together to take in a refreshingly rare brand of politics: one where Jeromy speaks off the cuff and from the heart, answering live and unfiltered questions from the floor.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeromy has compensated for the inability to meet in-person by conducting weekly Facebook LIVE sessions. These have been a tremendous hit with constituents.

The born and raised Calgarian has deep roots in the southwest and is proud to call Ward 11 his home. He hails from a family of entrepreneurs and teachers. Jeromy is very proud of his Hungarian ancestry, and of his own family who escaped the communist regime in 1956 to carve out a better life in Calgary.

“Calgarians are among the most entrepreneurial, hardest working and resilient in this country. This city is filled with opportunity and I believe if we shift to a model of putting our needs before our wants in local government, we can once again become the economic engine of Canada,” says Jeromy, a strong advocate for small businesses and for government to cut red tape and get out of the way.

A graduate of Bishop Carroll High School, Jeromy went on to become an alumni of the University of Calgary, this is where he successfully ran the Israel Studies program for eight years. He is also a fellow of the Manning Centre, known for his work as the lead for the Council Tracker project, keeping tabs on City Council voting and time spent in closed-door meetings.

Early on in his term, the 34-year-old tackled such issues as speaking out against council’s secret meetings, the costly SW bus rapid transit (BRT) line and the city’s failings to sufficiently help the residents in the now-demolished Midfield trailer park.

More recently, Jeromy has pushed hard for spending cuts, freezing property taxes and scaling back the entitlements of elected officials – including the golden pension and transition allowance, both which he has personally declined.

He maintains a respectful, collaborative approach and is dedicated to Calgary being a safe, affordable and prosperous city for all to live and work in. This is what you told him was important to you, and his commitment to this ideal remains.

In his personal time, Jeromy is an avid cyclist, outdoor enthusiast and Ironman competitor. He is very dedicated to his family and has taken part in a wide range of volunteerism and mentorship programs.

Is there something that you would like to discuss with Jeromy? He loves nothing more than meeting with constituents and learning about ways he can help Email him at ward11@calgary.ca.