Here’s what the Alberta government’s municipal inspection means for Medicine Hat

Alberta’s municipal affairs minister is granted the power through provincial law to trigger a municipal inspections, according to an Alberta government overview.

The minister can order such an audit in response to a request from council, through a petition or after serious issues are brought to the minister’s attention.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs completed an initial preliminary stage that included interviews with members of council and administration before officially moving ahead this week.

The idea of a municipal inspection is not entirely new to Medicine Hat. Last year, a resident launched a petition asking for one that received thousands of signatures.

Will it benefit city hall?

George Cuff, a nationally-recognized municipal affairs consultant, said an independent inspection could be beneficial for a city hall rocked by conflict.

“If the mayor and councillors approach it with an open mind and are prepared to co-operate and be collegial in their efforts, then I think the consultants they’ve hired will be able to do a first-rate job and provide them good advice, then I think this could work very well,” Cuff told CHAT News on Friday.

Several councillors say they hope such an audit will help set up the next council term for success.

Cuff said that goal is possible if the city’s elected representatives and top staffers each agree that they individually need to “step up to the plate and provide better governance.”

“If all of them are all in, then I think this has lots of potential. If they’re dragging their feet and wanting to point fingers and wanting to complain about what went on previously, then they’ll be stuck in previously and they won’t move forward.”

Council requested audit in September

Council on Sept. 4 voted 6-3 in favour of the municipal inspection that was proposed by Coun. Andy McGrogan.

Couns. McGrogan, Darren Hirsch and Robert Dumanowski argued the municipal inspection would help the city find any deep-rooted issues and provide an opportunity for a much-needed council reset.

Mayor Linnsie Clark said she felt council was targeting her with such an audit but added such an inspection “could be good” at the September meeting.

She asked to push the vote on what was originally a notice-of-motion to the next meeting to consider the implications of such an audit to city hall.

While Clark failed to find widespread support, there were two councillors who voted against the proposal.

Ramona Robins, a former Crown prosecutor and one of many first-term councillors, was against voting for the audit so abruptly without knowing the costs or risks involved.

“I don’t believe an inspection is in the best interests of the citizens of Medicine Hat,” Robins said at the time. She argued it would be costly and time-consuming.

Coun. Alison Van Dyke on Sept. 4 acknowledged the city has several outdated policies and pointed out that staff are already hard at work to update the internal structures.

“A municipal inspection would be a considerable strain and expense to our city and would have additional reputational repercussions to our broader community,” Van Dyke said.

“I’m not sure that there is anything that an inspection would reveal that would justify that cost to me and to many in our community who just want to see this council working at the governance that we were elected to do.”

The city’s chief administrator Ann Mitchell said at the Sept. 4 meeting a municipal inspection could bring the community’s trust in city hall back.

“We need to open up our closets and restore the public trust,” Mitchell said, adding there are many “archaic” processes the city has that an audit could expose.

She also called for unity going forward.

“We have to be getting along for the greater good, all of us.”

by Eli J. Ridder

Here’s what the Alberta government’s municipal inspection means for Medicine Hat

Will it benefit city hall?

Council requested audit in September

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