Coun. Robin Kurpjuweit spoke with CHAT News on Friday. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder, Jesse Gill

Cypress County councillor has plans to improve transparency despite Alberta inspection request failure

Apr 26, 2024 | 10:48 AM

A Cypress County councillor said Friday he is disappointed after failing to get council approval for a municipal inspection but revealed he still plans to bring about transparency and accountability through a series of proposed changes.

Coun. Robin Kurpjuweit’s motion at council to get Alberta’s municipal affairs ministry to carry out the inspection was turned down in a 6-3 vote on Wednesday.

“We live in a democracy and as much as I was disappointed, I wasn’t completely surprised either,” he told CHAT News.

In an effort to improve the public’s trust in the county government, Kurpjuweit had attempted what he described as a proactive approach to bring more transparency to Cypress County.

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A provincial inspection can be requested by council or municipal affairs can intervene unilaterally. The Alberta government has not given any sign it will inspect Cypress County.

“I was unsuccessful in convincing them of the value of that and I have to live with that,” Kurpjuweit said.

However, Kurpjuweit said he believes council is open to improving when it comes to transparency and accountability.

He said Cypress council wants to put its best foot forward, particularly as Medicine Hat deals with a code of conduct violation and sanctions on its mayor.

READ: ClarkWatch — the latest on the sanctions against Medicine Hat’s mayor

“Some of the things that I was hoping to get out of the inspection we can still push for internally,” Kurpjuweit said.

The councillor has a pair of motions coming forward at the May 7 council meeting he hopes will improve the accountability angle at council.

If his proposals are approved, all council votes will be recorded for the public record and an audit committee will be formed with a focus on finances and procedure.

“I hope that the rest of council has recognized that where I was coming from was a positive place.”