Editing Al Duerr (section)

==Political career==
Duerr was first elected as an [[alderman]] for Ward 9 on [[Calgary City Council]] in 1983 and was re-elected in 1986.<ref>{{cite news |last=Donville |first=Christopher |date=April 12, 1988 |title=Duerr to bow out of civic politics |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-duerr-to-bow-out-of-civic/144173220/ |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=B3 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Incumbent Mayor [[Ralph Klein]] resigned in the months before the 1989 municipal election to pursue provincial office<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=March 22, 1989 |title=Klein quits as Calgary mayor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-vancouver-sun-klein-quits-as-calgary/144172613/ |work=[[Vancouver Sun]] |agency=[[Canadian Press]] |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=A17 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and Duerr contested and won the mayor's seat in the 1989 election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cooney |first=Roman |date=October 17, 1989 |title=Duerr tramples the rest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-duerr-tramples-the-rest/144172176/ |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=A1 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Duerr would go on to be re-elected as mayor three more times in 1992, 1995, and [[1998 Calgary municipal election|1998]] before deciding not to contest the [[2001 Calgary municipal election|2001 election]], which was won by former Alderman [[Dave Bronconnier]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Heyman |first=David |date=October 15, 2001 |title=End of an era for Mayor Duerr |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-end-of-an-era-for-mayor-d/144171195/ |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=B4 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Heyman |first=David |date=October 16, 2001 |title=Bronconnier wins tight four-way race |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-bronconnier-wins-tight-fo/144171334/}} and {{cite news |title=Race: Longstaff gracious |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-race-longstaff-gracious/144171457/ |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |location=Calgary, Alberta |pages=A1-A2 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

Duerr's time as mayor coincided with significant spending cuts by the federal government and austerity policies by Ralph Klein's provincial government. Provincial austerity would result in a significant reduction in grant funding for municipalities which in turn resulted in lower capital spending and public construction projects in Calgary.<ref name="Nelson2019">{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Chris |title=We could use the steady Mr. Beige in these tumultuous times |url=https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/nelson-we-could-use-the-steady-mr-beige-in-these-tumultuous-times/ |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=The Calgary Herald |date=September 16, 2019}}</ref>

In 1991, Duerr would proclaim gay pride week in Calgary; however, he would deny future proclamations due to public pressure.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pride and Pre-justice (a recap) |url=https://calgarygayhistory.ca/tag/al-duerr/ |website=Calgary Gay History Project |accessdate=23 March 2020 |date=August 25, 2016 |quote=1991 is also the year Mayor Al Duerr famously proclaims gay pride week in Calgary but then denies future proclamations due to public pressure.}}</ref>

During his four terms, Duerr was considered one of the most popular mayors in the city's history.<ref name="Bloomberg" />  His conciliatory, [[management style|managerial style]] and likeable personality made him well respected.<ref>{{cite news |last=Braid |first=Don |date=September 15, 2010 |title=City's social bonds are fraying |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/calgary-herald-citys-social-bonds-are-f/137938534/ |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |location=Calgary, Alberta |page=B5 |access-date=January 2, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Duerr was given the nickname of "Mr. Beige" by local media columnists, and in the 1998 election would be challenged by local political columnist Rick Bell, although Bell's candidacy was not a serious attempt to contest the mayor's office.<ref name="Nelson2019" />

In 1997 while serving as mayor, Duerr played the character of Mayor Wilkins in an episode of the television show [[Viper (TV series)|Viper]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Al Duerr |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0240275/ |website=Internet Movie Database |accessdate=23 March 2020}}</ref>