Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat mayor issues apology, city manager accepts but asks for more

Sep 3, 2024 | 11:00 PM

Mayor Linnsie Clark apologized on Tuesday for questions she asked during a contentious exchange with City Manager Ann Mitchell at an August 2023 public council meeting, appearing to fulfill a request made by councillors who sanctioned Clark earlier this year.

“I just wanted to make clear my intentions in my line of questioning were merely for me to carry out my duties as mayor of this city and not to cause hurt,” Clark said.

“However, I do recognize that my comments did cause hurt feelings around this table and I apologize for that,” the mayor concluded, to applause from the public gallery.

After Clark’s statement, Mitchell asked to give a response.

“I will accept that apology in the manner that it’s given,” Mitchell said.

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“But, I would ask that you extend the apology to the community and to everybody else in this organization, as well as myself and around this table, for the damage that it’s done.”

Mitchell’s comments sparked jeers from the gallery.

Clark used her gavel to bring residents in the gallery to silence.

“Thank you for your comments,” Clark said, before continuing on with the meeting.

READ: Medicine Hat formally requests municipal inspection

It marked a raucous start as council resumed regular meetings following an August break.

WATCH: City council meeting Tuesday night

Clark felt Mitchell carried out a reorganization of city hall without following the proper process and pushed her on the legitimacy of the revamp during a tense back-and-forth at a meeting on Aug. 21, 2023.

The next day, Coun. Shila Sharps asked Clark to apologize to Mitchell. Clark refused, saying she felt threatened, according to an account of the exchange from Sharps.

Sharps then filed a formal complaint that led to a third-party investigation by Kingsgate Legal into the mayor’s actions. The investigator in a report to council said there was “sufficient evidence” that Clark breached the provincially-mandated code of conduct bylaw.

In a March 21 special meeting, council — without Sharps and Clark present — found the mayor failed to treat with Mitchell with “courtesy, dignity and respect” and stripped Clark of her mayoral powers and cut her salary in half through a series of six sanctions.

Clark responded by filing for a judicial review and bring council’s leadership crisis to court.

Justice Rosemary Nation ruled in late August that council’s finding that Clark broke the code was a “reasonable decision and logical in light of the evidence” but reversed many of the sanctions, writing the measures did not match the misconduct.

Council’s sanction requesting an apology from the mayor was left standing by Nation.

Clark appeared to fulfill that ask on Tuesday evening, with approval from at least some councillors later in the meeting.

Another sanction limiting the mayor’s contact with the city manager and other staff was sent back to council by Nation to work out better parameters.

At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, tensions between Clark and the rest of council flared as they debated a proposal for a municipal inspection.

Council voted 6-3 to formally ask the municipal affairs minister for the provincial audit.

It will be up to minister Ric McIver to act on the request.