Ann Mitchell, chief administrative officer of the City of Medicine Hat, was revealed as the author of a message Coun. Andy McGrogan cited in part during a December council meeting. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

CITY HALL

Medicine Hat’s CAO revealed as ‘senior administrator’ who accused councillor of making ‘unqualified’ assessment

Jan 9, 2025 | 5:02 PM

City Manager Ann Mitchell was revealed on Thursday as the “senior administrator” who Coun. Andy McGrogan said questioned his ability to determine if residents were upset, a statement a Medicine Hat spokesperson said was misunderstood.

An information request filed through the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act by a resident unveiled Mitchell as the author of an email McGrogan alluded to during the final council meeting of 2024.

Mitchell was responding to a notice of motion McGrogan sent out to her and the rest of council that proposed council direct staff find a way to cut 1.7 per cent from the 2025 and 2026 tax rate increases.

“Is it appropriate to make an unqualified statement in a motion like ‘the taxpayer is distressed’?” Mitchell wrote as part of a lengthy email response to all of council.

The file the city provided in response to the FOIPP request did not include the full text of Mitchell’s message or any responses.

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During the Dec. 24 meeting, McGrogan gave a prepared speech that briefly referenced her comment.

“Recently, I received an email from a senior administrator accusing me of not being qualified to assert that taxpayers are distressed,” McGrogan said.

“I disagree with this assessment. During the last municipal election, I received very strong support and a very clear mandate from our electorate.”

McGrogan at the time declined to reveal the employee who sent the email.

It marks the first time that a member of council besides Mayor Linnsie Clark directly criticized Mitchell in an open council meeting — though McGrogan did so without naming the chief administrator.

A spokesperson for the City of Medicine Hat said Thursday the city manager, as principal advisor to city council, often provides advice and feedback to members of council.

“In this instance, the intent of the comment was to clarify that the statement regarding taxpayer distress was not backed, or qualified, by data – not that Councillor McGrogan was unqualified,” the official wrote.

“The City’s 2024 Community Survey did not show a dramatic difference in tax preferences. The survey showed that 38% of respondents would support a tax increase to maintain or enhance services, while 44% would prefer to cut services to maintain or decrease taxes.”

Clark said on Dec. 17 she can relate to McGrogan’s experience of being criticized by a senior city employees and was supportive of his 11th-hour effort to cut the tax increase included in the next two-year budget.

“He clearly was feeling a bit frustrated and he told council and the public about his frustration and put a motion forward to try and resolve the situation in a manner that he would be satisfied with,” Clark told CHAT News in an interview.

“It didn’t end up passing but those are the types of things that this council needs to do.”

Much of the last two years at city hall has been defined by a conflict between Clark and Mitchell over the powers council should versus what it does have over the day-to-day operations of the city and the influence the CAO has over elected leaders.

McGrogan said he considers the issue in the past.

“There is always a great deal of stress through the budget process and, although I wasn’t pleased with the comment, it’s behind us for now,” he told CHAT News on Thursday.

— with files from Dan Reynish