File Photo/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

CITY HALL

Medicine Hat city council to debate transparency of finances, human resources

Apr 7, 2025 | 12:30 PM

Intense debate could fill Medicine Hat’s council chambers Monday night as councillors and the mayor deliberate various proposals aimed at increasing transparency at city hall. 

The motions come amid some public scrutiny of Medicine Hat’s municipal government and during an ongoing provincial inspection requested by council.

A pair of councillors will attempt to find enough support to get three items focused on financial transparency, that aren’t without precedent in other places.

Coun. Andy McGrogan will try to acquire majority support for his motion directing administrators to publish the expenses of senior city staff twice a year, in the spring and fall.

The expenses would include line item details such as business travel, meals and various other costs, McGrogan said at the March 3 meeting.

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“Taxpayers have the right to know, and it shouldn’t be an onerous process for them to find out what city staff are making, what the expenses are,” he told reporters then.

“They can tell my expenses, and I’m quite happy to demonstrate them.”

That item, along with another directing staff to provide council with an update on The Mustard Seed’s overnight shelter’s zoning status, was pushed back from the last meeting.

Coun. Shila Sharps is bringing forward a pair of motions Monday that aim to increase transparency around the type of human resources metrics the City of Medicine Hat reveals publicly.

“In an era where data-driven decision-making is paramount, the need for transparency and accountability in human resources management has never been more critical,” Sharps wrote in one of the motions. 

She previewed the two HR-related items through a notice of motion at the last meeting, along with a third related to U.S. tariffs. 

Her first proposal calls on city administrators to publish HR metrics similar to those posted by Calgary and other municipalities, including employee totals, voluntary and involuntary terminations, safety statistics and more.

A second notice of motion — a mechanism to preview a formal motion two weeks ahead of time — directs staff to implement a “transparent reporting mechanism regarding severance payments.”

This motion, too, advances transparency, Sharps said.

“By adopting this motion, we will ensure that Council members and the public are well-informed about severance expenditures,” she wrote.

“This initiative is vital for promoting accountability and enhancing transparency in our governance practices, fostering trust within our community, and reinforcing our commitment to responsible fiscal management.”

A third motion from Sharps previewed at council Monday will, if passed, direct city administration to prioritize local spending.

“I recommend that council direct administration to identify alternative suppliers to Amazon and all U.S.-based vendors, and where feasible and consistent with applicable trade agreements, prioritize local suppliers,” she wrote.

“Additionally, I propose that council direct administration to provide a report back on the increase in local spending.”

Reimbursement

Another element of the agenda has already received some attention but won’t be deliberated until two weeks from Monday.

Mayor Linnsie Clark included an advance motion asking the City of Medicine Hat to reimburse her legal expenses she accrued during the sanctions scandal that rocked city hall through much of 2024.

It was included on the agenda released Friday, sparking headlines leading into Monday.

Her notice of motion directs city administration to cover $76,017.62 in legal fees over five different items.

Clark is asking to get her costs covered for the third-party legal opinion of the city manager’s 2023 reorganization of city hall and the money spent on the judicial review case, among other items.

Saamis solar

In an agenda that is already shaping up to be full of debate, council will also consider a staff request related to the city’s newly-acquired solar farm.

City energy staff are asking for $675,000 to do the work required to find out if the project is viable and narrow down how much it will cost.

That work will largely be completed by third-party experts in collaboration with city hall.

The analysis “stage-gate” was always a planned part of the solar project’s timeline should it be built, a deep dive that couldn’t start until the city purchased the project.

The early cost estimate for a proposed 75-megawatt initial stage was about $110 million.

The analysis that could start Monday will help determine a more final number that will determine if staff recommend council move ahead on the project.