Coun. Andy McGrogan, as acting mayor, chairs a council meeting on May 6, 2024. (Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Medicine Hat’s acting mayor urges proper decorum at meetings

May 7, 2024 | 1:44 PM

Medicine Hat councillor and current acting mayor Andy McGrogan called on the public to have proper decorum and respect at council Tuesday after he brought a halt to the most recent meeting several times to address noise from the public gallery.

WATCH: Noon interview with McGrogan

“It’s very distracting when people are huffing and puffing and shaking their head very demonstratably,” he told anchor Lisa Parent while speaking on CHAT News.

McGrogan, who as the current acting mayor is the chair, slammed the gavel and even had to call a recess at one point during Monday’s council meeting due to noise from the gallery.

Part of the sound from the gallery emulated from audience members there in support of Mayor Linnsie Clark, who once again received applause as she walked in to the chamber at the outset of the meeting.

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“There were three or four folks that particularly, I thought, rude and disrespectful,” McGrogan said.

“We had to put a stop to it in order for the dialogue to occur. We really want to encourage people to be there, but like they expect us to act with decorum, we expect the same from them.”

Some of the sounds from the gallery during Monday’s meeting also came from security guards speaking with a local blog owner.

McGrogan, who has chaired several meeting as deputy mayor and acting mayor since Mayor Clark was sanctioned and removed from the chair role in March, has used the gavel often to quiet the gallery.

Monday’s meeting marked the rare occasion of a recess being called for public noise in the council chamber.

The next council meeting is on May 21.