Mayor Bronconnier insists on an open, transparent, and accountable municipal government, one that is accessible and welcoming to all Calgarians.

As he puts it, 'The public has a right to know, and we have a duty to inform'.

He's introduced many initiatives to ensure this is how The City of Calgary does business. For example, he launched Canada's first 3-1-1 telephone service, 24/7 access to City information, programs and services, and a system that tracks all calls and ensures no request is 'lost' or dropped.

He introduced the three-year budget planning cycle, making Calgary the first municipality in the country to set long-term financial guidelines within which The City must operate. He opened City budgets to public scrutiny and discussion at an annual open house at which time any citizen could question senior administrative staff about their proposed expenditures.

And in the fall of 2006, Mayor Bronconnier took the issue of sustainable municipal financing directly to the public, by hosting a series of town hall meetings that drew thousands of Calgarians in person or online. This widespread public participation was key in the provincial government's decision to negotiate a new – and more equitable - funding agreement with the municipalities.