Calgary city councillor apologetic but unrepentant over budget document leak

CALGARY – Calgary city councillor Landon Johnston said Tuesday he is apologetic — but unrepentant –for recently leaking private budget documents to the media.

City councillors, meanwhile, were told they can’t do anything to sanction him for misconduct for the leak because recent law changes by the provincial government took that power away.

“I apologize for breaking the rules,” Johnston told reporters outside of council chambers. 

“But I would do it again.

“I felt I was in a position of choosing between what was right and what was a rule built to contain narratives.”

Last week, Johnston admitted on social media last week to handing off confidential budget documents to a local reporter. The information showed that one budget spending scenario could see local property taxes soar by 20 per cent.

Mayor Jeromy Farkas, however, said that is one of many scenarios to be debated in private, and that leaking such information compromised security while raising broader financial and legal concerns.

On Tuesday morning, council met to discuss what to do with Johnston’s leak. Johnston was the only councillor not in attendance. Instead, he sent a memo to members of council stating that he was advised by a lawyer not to attend the meeting because of his own interests in the decision. 

In the memo, he defended his decision as an act of transparency rather than a disregard for confidentiality.

At the meeting, councillors were told by city officials that their powers to investigate and take action on misconduct have been severely curtailed by changes to provincial legislation last year.

Changes to the rules effectively put the development of the city’s code of conduct and disciplinary power in the hands of Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams.

Williams’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“This is a serious issue that council has no ability to rectify,” Farkas said.

Farkas said he’s less concerned about the budget numbers than future leaks compromising recruitment processes, private personal information for staff and citizens and private details about law enforcement. Johnston said, to his knowledge, no personal information was leaked.

Instead, councillors voted 12 to 2 to simply inform Williams and the provincial privacy commissioner about the leak.

Jill Floen, Calgary’s city solicitor, told councillors that the final say lies with Williams.

She said Williams has options, including ordering a council vote on whether to remove Johnston or even exploring criminal charges for breach of trust.

“The only clear path for accountability lies with the minister, and it is within the minister’s full discretion to decide whether and what to do,” Floen said.

Johnston said he won’t be leaking any more confidential information and won’t put himself in a position to do so.  He said if closed door discussions become unethical, such as talks over private budgetary measures which he believes should be made public, he will leave. 

Johnston also said he wrote a letter to Williams asking for a full investigation into the leak and others that have happened in the past.

“Whatever consequences you give me, it’s going to have to go to everybody,” Johnston said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2026.