Mayor Linnsie Clark, shuffled to the right of the horseshoe for Monday's meeting, received applause as she entered the chambers. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

UPDATED

Defiant Medicine Hat mayor appears at council meeting to applause, dozens of residents show support

Mar 25, 2024 | 6:38 PM

A defiant mayor-in-name-only Linnsie Clark received applause from dozens of supportive residents as the first public Medicine Hat city council meeting since she was sanctioned by her colleagues got underway Monday evening.

About 70 residents watched on as councillors discussed tax incentives designed to boost housing and an update from staff on the environmental framework in a committee-of-the-whole meeting.

Many eyes were on Clark — who sat off to the side as a symptom of losing her mayoral powers — and City Manager Ann Mitchell.

An exchange between Clark and Mitchell at an August 2023 council meeting led to a third-party investigation into the mayor and was cited as the reasoning behind removing her mayoral powers.

While only one of the two items on the meeting agenda was designed to be in public, council voted to open up the entire meeting.

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The proposed tax incentives received unanimous support on Monday and were sent out of committee to get consideration for approval at a later council meeting.

City Manager Ann Mitchell listens during a committee-of-the-whole meeting on March 25, 2024. (Eli J. RIdder/CHAT News)

The environmental framework update was meant to be a workshop in private session but was adjusted to a presentation format for the public meeting. As it was just a discussion item, there was no decision-making on the item Monday.

The agenda did not include any item or hold any discussion related last Thursday’s sanctioning of Clark, but tensions hung over the council chambers.

The empty chairs of Couns. Shila Sharps, Ramona Robins and Andy McGrogan. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

Coun. Shila Sharps, who filed the complaint over Clark’s August 2023 exchange with City Manager Ann Mitchell, and Coun. Andy McGrogan attended the meeting virtually. Coun. Ramona Robins was absent due to a family matter.

READ MORE: The exchange that spurred an investigation into Mayor Clark

Coun. Allison Knodel, the current deputy mayor, was chair of the meeting in place of Clark.

Mayor Clark first spoke during the council meeting at 7:06 p.m. to ask a series of questions related to tax incentive criteria, asking why there wasn’t council approval on a tax program.

While that resulted in some reaction from the public chambers, staff said the program is using money that was already allocated. Knodel asked for “ultimate respect” in the chamber.