Dan Marion, a Medicine Hat resident, was hoping to present to council on Monday. (CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

‘An erosion of trust’: Medicine Hat residents call for provincial inspection of city leadership

Apr 4, 2024 | 5:07 PM

A group of Medicine Hat residents are calling on city council to request a provincial inspection of the municipal government amid what they see as a lack of transparency and failure to lead.

Organizers are collecting signatures on a letter they plan to send to Alberta’s municipal affairs ministry.

Dan Marion, a resident who asked and was denied the opportunity to speak to the letter at the next regular council meeting, said Thursday he wants an inspection to reveal the inner workings of city hall.

“Since it’s been done in other municipalities and things have been found, I’m hoping for the same thing here,” he told CHAT News.

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READ MORE: Read the full letter asking for an inspection

“I don’t want bad things to be found, but if there are things like that going on, then it’s best it becomes unearthed and made public and then fixed,” Marion added.

“It’s all an erosion of trust.”

Denied request to present

Marion on Thursday afternoon was denied his request to present to council, with City Clerk Larry Randle saying the committee that sets the agenda found a copy of Marion’s request would be enough information.

“The Administrative Committee determined that providing a copy of your request to all of Council would be sufficient to raise awareness of your concerns and that a presentation to Council would not be required,” Randle wrote.

Marion said he was disappointed he was denied to present.

“I am deeply disappointed, but in no way surprised, in hearing my request to address council has been denied,” he said in a statement to CHAT News later on Thursday.

“Once again the members of this council will deny one of its citizens a voice at the table.”

‘Be honest’

Core to Marion’s planned message to council was to ask for more honesty.

“Be honest with your people. You were elected to represent us, lead us, and take care of us,” Marion said.

City council voted unanimously on March 21 to sanction and cut the salary of Mayor Linnsie Clark after finding she broke its code of conduct during a tense exchange with the city manager at a public meeting in August 2023.

While council made the decision to strip Clark’s powers away in a special public meeting, the deliberations took place in three closed sessions of council ahead of the vote.

Couns. Allison Knodel and Andy McGrogan, along with the rest of council in a join statement, have insisted several time the private meetings were required under the municipal act.