Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith introduce legislation addressing agreements between the federal government and provincial entities in Edmonton on April 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson
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Alberta’s Municipal Affairs minister says an inspection of city hall procedures could be completed by the late spring or early summer.
That means the results of the review – requested by city council this fall – could be made public months before the next municipal election.
That aligns with the “best-case” scenario, according to the city councillors who pushed for the inspection.
“Six months would be ideal,” Coun. Andy McGrogan told the News. “Let’s set up the next council for success.”
City councillors voted 6-3 in favour of McGrogan’s motion to request the province examine whether local procedure bylaw was being followed correctly and potentially make recommendations or require corrective action.
That came after allegations from Mayor Linnsie Clark that top administrators went around council during a reorganization of city hall staff in mid-2023. Other councillors dispute that, stating they were well informed and that updates met the spirit of the bylaw and practical realities that come with layoffs.
“I’m hopeful that the inspection will be available to the city and its residents by either late spring or early summer 2025,” Ric McIver told the legislative assembly on Monday afternoon in question period.
The statement came in response to questions from government colleague and Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright, who said residents are calling him with questions about the process.
“The timeline is not exact because we have an independent party doing it,” said McIver. “Like all municipal inspections … the report will be made available to the public. Albertans expect their local governments to be transparent and accountable … We certainly hope that it will be helpful for the future governance of Medicine Hat.”
McIver and top ministry officials met with city council in late June, just before a King’s Bench review of council’s finding that Clark breached the code of conduct in her criticisms of the city manager.
That proceeding reversed many sanctions placed on the mayor and restored her pay, but didn’t make a determination on the council procedure issue.
Clark says the city manager should have waited until after council amended job titles and a corporate flow chart before moving ahead with transfers and layoffs in the corporate reorganization.
Since then, some councillors have asked if council followed proper procedure in hiring two staffers for the mayor’s office and placing them under her authority, contrary to wording in the organizational bylaw.
Those now-eliminated positions form a portion of the dispute, court documents suggest.
