The 1998 Calgary municipal election was held on October 19, 1998, to elect a Mayor and 14 Aldermen to Calgary City Council.

In addition to the city council election, trustees to the Calgary Board of Education, Calgary Catholic School District, two plebiscites and the Alberta Senate nominee election.

Incumbent Mayor Al Duerr was re-elected defeating Alderman Ray Clark, and each incumbent Alderman was re-elected.

Background Calgary City Council approved a vote on a question on whether Calgarians continued to support water fluoridation following the 1989 plebiscite which saw fluoride first introduced. Plebiscites had previously failed to garner sufficient support in 1957, 1961 1966, and 1971. The Calgary Regional Health Authority promoted the fluoridation campaign, spending $250,000 on advertising and other measures. Opponents proposed to take legal action when pro-fluoride posters were on display at a voting station on election day which anti-fluoride groups charged was illegal.

The second vote on a question put to Calgary voters was whether video lottery terminals (VLTs) should be removed by the provincial government, or whether the decision to remove VLTs from Calgary should remain with City Council. The plebiscite was held in 28 municipalities across Alberta after the provincial government increased access to VLTs, increasing the number present in the province from 500 in 1997 to 2,200 in 1998. Prominent Calgary oilman Jim Gray was an advocate for the removal of the VLTs, while casinos and restaurant groups advocated for VLTs to remain. Incumbent Mayor Duerr supported the provincial government removing the VLTs while the main challenger Clark supported keeping VLTs in the city and leaving the decision to council.

A police investigation followed a bomb threat to incumbent Ward 13 alderman Sue Higgins written on a ballot cast during the election.

Results Election results from Calgary Herald.

Mayor

Votes % Al Duerr 182,780 % Ray Clark 43,242 % Rick Bell 20,812 % Ron Wise 1,097 % Doug Service 755 % Jerzyk Jamroziak 728 % Floyd D. Allen 690 % Total

Ward 1 Candidate Votes Percent Dale Hodges 16,636 Robin Elford 4,187 Barb Taylor-Daigarno 1,780 Jason Seitanidis 725 Peter Manousos 489

Ward 2 Candidate Votes Percent Joanne Kerr Acclaimed

Ward 3 Candidate Votes Percent John Schmal 13,065 Carrie Donahue 2,740 Derrik Thomas Meyer 1,291

Ward 4 Candidate Votes Percent Robert Andrew Hawkesworth 11,830 David H. Chambers 2,431 Edward R. Peebles 841

Ward 5 Candidate Votes Percent Ray Jones 11,061 Francis A. Byron 2,704

Ward 6 Candidate Votes Percent Dave Bronconnier 10,691 Craig Burrows 4,322 James Donald Istvanffy 3,491 Janyce Konkin 1,921

Ward 7 Candidate Votes Percent Bev Longstaff 10,638 Augustine Joseph Barron 5,161

Ward 8 Candidate Votes Percent Jon Lord 6,397 Robert Victor Lang 3,650 Luba Arko 671

Ward 9 Candidate Votes Percent Joseph Anthony Ceci 9,075 Shirley-anne Reuben 5,074 Stanley Gabriel Waciak 882

Ward 10 Candidate Votes Percent Diane Lynn Danielson 6,318 Andre R. Chabot 2,455 Kevin John Montgomery 1,443 Amir Hernani 1,083 Bastiaan Quist 483

Ward 11 Candidate Votes Percent James Barry Erskine Acclaimed

Ward 12 Candidate Votes Percent Suzanne Higgins 14,360 Richard William McIver 2,711 Tim Rollans 2,375 Albert Ludwig 908 Gareth Evans 371

Ward 13 Candidate Votes Percent Patti Grier 12,859 Diane Marie Colley-Urquhart 8,171

Ward 14 Candidate Votes Percent Linda J. Fox-Mellway 12,294 Diana Fitzpatrick 3,271 Andrew Neufeld 2,936 Blaine Chornawka 2,380 Randy Reynolds 461

Plebiscites Fluoridation Calgarians were asked "Are you in favour of continuing the fluoridation of the municipal water supply? YES or NO."

Candidate Votes Percent Yes 136,393 No 113,730

VLTs Calgarians were asked "Should The City of Calgary request that the Provincial Government take appropriate action to remove all video lottery terminals from our city? YES or No."

Candidate Votes Percent Yes 104,999 No 144,281

See also List of Calgary municipal elections

References

Further reading