Medicine Hat city council formally requests Alberta municipal audit
The City of Medicine Hat formally requested a municipal inspection from the Alberta government late on Tuesday, after council had a fierce debate over the merits, cost and impact of such an unrestricted audit.
Council voted to turn Coun. Andy McGrogan’s notice of motion — which acts as an advance warning for an item coming at the next meeting — into a fully-fledged proposal and extend the meeting past 11 p.m. to consider it.
The inspection would allow a third-party investigator to review city policies at the heart of a conflict between the mayor, council and city manager that boiled over into a leadership crisis that has plagued city hall for a year.
The final decision to launch an audit is up to the discretion of municipal affairs minister Ric McIver.