City hiring new solicitor to fill spot left vacant by Mayor Clark
By COLLIN GALLANT on November 23, 2021.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant The City of Medicine Hat is now recruiting a full-time solicitor to fill the position vacated by Linnsie Clark when she was elected mayor. Under provincial rules, municipal employees are not allowed to serve as elected officials with their employer. Clark spent four years in the City of Medicine Hat’s legal department that is led by Ben Bullock, who holds the title “city solicitor” as head of the department. She took an unpaid leave at a July deadline to begin campaigning, and in October was elected to a four-year term with about two-thirds of the votes in late October. Under provincial rules for local elections, any municipal employee that runs for council must request an unpaid leave of absence during the campaign, and then resign positions if they accept an elected position. A new entry on the city’s hiring listings for a full-time permanent solicitor was posted Nov. 10. It will remain open until early next month. In 2017, incoming city councillor Kris Samraj left his position with the Medicine Hat Public Library to dedicate more time to the council position though he was not required to do so as the library is a legally separate entity. Other HR changes Former development and infrastructure commissioner Stan Schwartzenberger is now serving as the interim head of the city’s human resources department after the senior position opened up this summer, shortly after it was filled in the spring. The senior position in the corporate services division is not listed as open for hiring. Only one senior position created in a corporate reorganization last year is currently vacant. An open-ended “until filled” job posting is listed for a “director” of strategy and analysis in the newly formed division of the same name. It has been advertised since May and is subordinate to the position of “managing director” of strategy and analysis, Rochelle Pancoast. The office performs certain audit functions and provides business case analysis across the corporation. 15-14
