(Courtesy: Government of Alberta)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

EXCLUSIVE

Alberta municipal affairs minister considers council code changes, warns against weaponizing rules

Apr 16, 2024 | 4:00 PM

Municipal affairs minister Ric McIver on Tuesday said Alberta’s required council code of conduct bylaws are not meant to be weaponized as he confirmed his ministry is considering changes but would not get involved in Medicine Hat’s city hall turmoil.

“We’ll try to improve on what’s here now,” McIver told CHAT News of the requirements amid a rise in allegations of municipal misconduct across the province.

“But here’s the thing, no matter how good or bad the rules are, I suppose if people want to use those rules as weapons against their fellow council-mates, then we need to hope for better than that.”

Premier Danielle Smith on April 5 said her government would review the Municipal Government Act’s code of conduct requirements.

“We are looking at updating some of the rules,” McIver confirmed.

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Medicine Hat city council found Mayor Linnsie Clark broke its code of conduct bylaw during an August 2023 exchange with the city manager and sanctioned her mayoral powers away last month.

Council said Clark failed to treat the city manager with courtesy, dignity and respect during the exchange.

McIver would rather the code be used to “correct the occasional bad behaviour” and that, in general, he would prefer if the rules and subsequent complaint process would never be required.

For Albertans upset with decisions made by their council, McIver said residents should not shy away from letting their representatives know, saying elected officials of all levels are first accountable to voters.

“If they’ve done things they like, tell them that, and if they’ve done things they don’t like, tell them that also,” McIver said.

“It’s okay to call up your elected official and say ‘good job on this, bad job on that’…people should not be shy about that.”

Residents frustrated by the restrictions placed on Clark have spoken during council meetings about it, launched a petition requesting councillors to undo the sanctions and pushed for a formal provincial inspection.

McIver’s ministry would be charged with determining the validity of such an inspection, an action he said should be reserved for extreme circumstances.

“Municipal inspections are not something to be done everyday, they’re designed to be applied to exceptional circumstances, so we don’t hand them out like sticks of gum,” he said.

The minister added the province would not be taking any action at this time.

“I’m going to let Medicine Hat sort their own gymnastics out,” McIver said.

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs has not opened an inspection into Medicine Hat at this time, a ministry spokesperson also confirmed Tuesday.

McIver revealed he was prepared to eliminate municipal code of conduct requirements but decided against it after members of council across Alberta said it was needed.

“I heard from rural and urban municipal leaders from across the province — for reasons that, frankly, mystify me — they really want the government of Alberta to have some rules.”

In the end the voters are the ones in charge, McIver said.

“When you elect somebody, whether it’s a member of the legislative assembly or a member of your city council, you’re stuck with this for four years, right or wrong,” he said.

“Vote carefully is the lesson of the day. But even after you vote carefully, you still have the right to contact your elected officials…we, elected people, work for them.”