Coun. Shila Sharps and Mayor Linnsie Clark are not named directly in the Kingsgate Legal report. (Courtesy: City of Medicine Hat, Kingsgate Legal)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

BREAKDOWN

Five takeways from the much-redacted Kingsgate Legal report into Medicine Hat’s mayor

Mar 27, 2024 | 9:42 AM

A much-anticipated report from a Kingsgate Legal investigation into Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark’s behaviour towards City Manager Ann Mitchell was released on March 26.

READ MORE: Report finds ‘sufficient evidence’ mayor broke council code of conduct

Here are five takeaways from the heavily-redacted report:

1. The findings, confirmed

There were three findings in the report, found between the many paragraphs of redacted text.

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The first was that there was wasn’t evidence Clark broke the code of conduct by bringing forward an outside legal opinion sh sourced herself at the Aug. 21, 2023, council meeting.

The second stated there was substantive evidence Clark broke the code the conduct through her exchange with City Manager Ann Mitchell.

A third finding said the complaint was “not brought in bad faith.”

2. Clark knew of the reorganization for months

Coun. Shila Sharps, identified only as the “complainant”, told the investigator the strategic reorganization of city hall was in the works for six months and that council was in-the-know.

Mitchell admitted she did not follow the correct process for the reorganization in full as the mayor pushed her on the subject during the public meeting.

Sharps said it was the wrong approach.

“Even if every word of what the mayor says is true, it should have been said in private as a confidential personnel matter,” Sharps told the investigator.

Sharps, echoing what she said during the August meeting, said council previously gave informal approval to the city manager’s restructuring efforts.

3. Mayor concerned by layoffs

Mayor Clark, listed as the “respondent”, said council did not appear interested in the layoffs caused by the reorganization.

“In the community it was obvious that layoffs had occurred without Council first passing a resolution, which was Council’s authority to do,” Clark told the investigator.

“I wanted to understand how that happened so it wouldn’t happen again in the future.”

Clark said she was clear with council at a July 4, 2023, meeting and an Aug. 16, 2023, workshop that a bylaw had been broken and so it should not have been a surprise when she brought it up at the Aug. 21, 2023, meeting.

4. Written submissions not included

While some of what both Mayor Clark and Coun. Sharps said to the investigator was included in the publicly-released report, written statements from both were not included.

Those statements could have given a clearer picture as to what transpired from both points-of-view beyond what was left unredacted.

5. Next steps

Clark can no longer represent the city as mayor to the media, she’s unable to chair council or committee meetings and her powers to set the agenda have been eliminated, among other sanctions.

Legally, the mayor can appeal the findings of the report to the Court of King’s Bench located downtown Medicine Hat.

Clark said she was exploring her legal options in an initial statement after the sanctions were placed on her.