Audit of Medicine Hat city hall could be ‘worthwhile’, says expert

“From that perspective, I think it’s healthy. I think it’s worthwhile.”

Council voted 6-3 to formally ask for an inspection at its Tuesday meeting, with those in favour saying it could filter out dated policies and provide a reset for an embattled council.

Mayor Linnsie Clark and two councillors, who voted against the audit, said they wanted to get more information about risks and costs of a provincial audit before making a final decision.

Paul Salvatore, CEO of Municipal Experts, Inc., was skeptical about the effectiveness of an inspection as it could reinforce dysfunction already visible over the past year.

He suggested that council could instead focus on addressing long-standing systemic issues rather than dwelling on what’s already happened.

“Whether or not there had been mistakes made in the past, you can certainly identify that you want to move forward by correcting those things that you recognize were mistakes,” he said.

“They need to consider that putting down a clear path forward is very important for the future, not just in this council.”

An inspection can only be ordered by municipal affairs minister Ric McIver.

His office said Wednesday it had not yet received a formal request from council.

“Upon receiving a request, the Minister will weigh all options before making a decision,” a spokesperson told CHAT News.

Mayor’s apology

Mayor Clark at the outset of Tuesday’s meeting gave an apology for questions she asked during a contentious exchange with City Manager Ann Mitchell in August 2023.

“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.

Cuff said Clark’s apology was fine.

“I appreciate the fact that she did apologize,” Cuff said.

“I realize it takes quite a bit to do that for political leaders who may not in fact think that they’ve done anything particularly wrong, but she knew that she had to do something to clear the air.”

Salvatore said the mayor was following through on the only sanction left standing in its entirety by a Calgary judge.

“She fulfilled her requirements from a legal standpoint. It’s really important for the mayor at this point to do whatever she can to generate support,” he said.

After Clark gave her apology, Mitchell responded by saying she would accept it in the manner that it was given.

“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 said.

Cuff said that while Mitchell’s reply may have had some merit, it wasn’t the right moment to make it.

“I think it takes away from what the mayor was trying to do. And I personally don’t think that that was timely or the right spot to be making that comment,” Cuff said.

“It sounds like you’re trying to fire back at the Mayor and take away from some of the ground that she’s trying now to rebuild.”

Council next meets on Sept. 16.

by Eli J. Ridder

Audit of Medicine Hat city hall could be ‘worthwhile’, says expert

Mayor’s apology

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