City Notebook: Call it what you want, it’s a fight nonetheless

By Collin Gallant on November 16, 2024.

Budget battle brews, has a nice ring to it.

But is that between council making a valiant effort to bring down a tax increase and staff who’ve argued the city’s 5.6 per cent proposed hike is among the lowest in the province already?

Potentially, though it’s setting up to be Round 10 between Mayor Linnsie Clark and city hall administration led by Ann Mitchell.

The prolonged process to get the city’s 2025-26 budget plan to council members for input has concluded this week – a final session dealt with economic development and real estate offices (neither of which presented budget plans, ironically).

But if you’re live-streaming the proceedings, you’re really missing out on the subtext and lingering ill-will between the chief elected official and the chief administrative officer.

Clark says she’s in a quandary to approve a new budget when she doesn’t know how it relates to the last (passed in late 2022).

What’s new, what’s left out, what’s working, what’s not: Clark wants to know.

She’s asked for an overview, she declared Wednesday, but that’s gone unfulfilled.

In response, Mitchell’s point seemed to be she doesn’t know specifically what Clark is asking for: a report? More justification than what’s already included?

A workforce and service level review is due in early 2025 … is that it?

At this point, most politicians state “line by line” examination is needed.

It’s a great sound bite, but in reality involves several hundred (thousand?) pages of accounting schedules for the corporation of Medicine Hat, its 1,000-person workforce and near half-billion in annual revenue.

Quick ones

– ‘Tis the season for a post office strike, it seems – usually in the leadup to Christmas. And once again this time we simultaneously hear that Canada Post is both no longer needed yet a critical service for commerce and small businesses which must not be disrupted.

– ‘Tis the Season, part II: Downtown Midnight Madness is set to take place on Friday, Nov. 22.

Steadying AIMCo.

Stephen Harper is rumoured to be the next head of the Alberta Investment Management Corp., which probably sounds like a home run to Alberta’s conservative leaning residents. They could soon be asked to endorse Alberta’s exit from the Canadian Pension Plan. A faction of the UCP has long aspired to grow AIMCo. into a world-beater fund manager.

On the other hand, is it a good idea to hire someone who, for all intents and purposes, can’t be criticized or fired?

A low-level, but real-world example are the Edmonton Oilers, which languished for decades under the leadership of Kevin Lowe. No small part of his job security was his connection to the 1980s dynasty teams.

A look ahead

City council meets on Monday to hear a staff proposal to meet goals approved in a new four-point strategic plan approved by council this fall. Those are a workforce and service level review at city hall, a recreation plan that includes a new south-side facility, economic development planning and an effort to engage the province on crime and social disorder in the city.

100 years ago

A “dragnet” was set up to recapture accused jewel thief Henry Towers, who jumped from a CP train as it slowly moved up the Redcliff Hill, the News reported Nov. 20, 1924.

Towers was being escorted back to Vancouver from Ottawa to answer to charges he stole $2,000 worth of jewelry from actress Verna Felton.

Led by Alberta Premier Greenfield and Prime Minister Mackenzie King, talks re-opened in Ottawa towards solving the “Natural Resources Question” for the 19-year-old province.

City council was gripped with the task of determining a suitable day off in the seven-day schedule for city firefighters.

Council considered a public plebiscite for the measure, requested by the firefighters union and allowed under new provincial legislation.

Chief Hatcher suggested the scheduling could be accomplished by adding one firefighter and rotating through the mens’ day off through the week.

In sports, recent World Series winner Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators was poised to become owner of the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League.

The new Medicine Hat women’s hockey team could be named “the Twinklers,” according to a News columnist.

Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com.