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Nkemdirim said he’s only been affiliated with the group as a volunteer since Wednesday and wasn’t involved in the group’s founding.

Photo by AL Charest / Postmedia

Gauld didn’t suggest any underhanded affiliations with Yes Calgary 2026 and city hall, but said he is “curious” about the group’s connections to the mayor.

“There’s some political insiders in this group I feel who are very media savvy,” he said.

“In the context of (Yes Calgary 2026), I can’t speak to their genesis or how they formed, but I think it’s very interesting that some of them have some affiliation with our mayor.”

The city is expected to begin public consultations on the Olympics ahead of a plebiscite which could be held in November.

The plebiscite was a condition of the provincial government’s support for the creation of an Olympic bid corporation in April and could cost an estimated $1.96 million.

The exact timing of the plebiscite will also depend on how quickly the city can work out a proposed deal to fund the Games.

As both groups work to have their voices heard ahead of the plebiscite, Moshe Lander, an expert in the economics of professional sports, is critical of the public vote.

He said the plebiscite acts as a “get out of jail free card” for council if the Olympics do come to Calgary and turn out to be an economic bust, by “handing the voter the responsibility of making the decision.”

“That’s really what the issues is — the fact is that the plebiscite itself is a problem and it’s going to make a bad situation worse,” he said. “The whole reason that we have elected officials is to make tough decisions and represent us. But in the case of the Calgary Olympics … it’s bad economics.”

The campaign is still in the planning stages, but Gauld says Calgarians can get involved by sending their ideas to nocalgaryolympics@gmail.com, or share ideas on the group’s Facebook and Twitter pages using the handle @noyycolympics.

RRumbolt@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @RCRumbolt