City manager Ann Mitchell was placed on temporary paid leave after council passed a motion during a Special Meeting on July 28. Council voted to formally terminate Mitchell's position with the City during a special council meeting Friday.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
Medicine Hat News
Medicine Hat city council officially terminated the employment of city manager Ann Mitchell during a special council meeting early Friday morning.
At the conclusion of a closed session of the meeting, a motion brought forward by Coun. Alison Van Dyke said that Mitchell, the former CAO, was found in violation of policy No. 8047, Respectful Workplace.
The motion called for Mitchell’s employment to be terminated and her appointment as city manager of the City of Medicine Hat revoked immediately, with cause. It also said council will issue a letter to Mitchell with the reasons for her employment being revoked and how she violated the Respectful Workplace policy.
All members of the council in attendance for the virtual meeting were in favour of the motion. Council. Ramona Robbins was not in attendance for the roughly 50-minute meeting.
City council called a special meeting on July 28, placing Mitchell on a temporary paid leave.
On Sept. 29, at a regular council meeting, council disclosed they were starting the process of termination. Council met Sept. 22 for a special council meeting that to discuss personnel matters. They called a second special meeting on Sept. 25 to discuss policy planning matters. Both meetings were in closed, confidential sessions.
A dispute between Mayor Linnsie Clark and Mitchell began in August 2023 and led to a council decision to sanction Clark from her duties, prompting her to request a judicial review. Those sanctions were dropped following a judge’s decision, but the breach of code of conduct by the mayor was upheld.
