City Council Removes Alberta Mayor’s Powers Over Treatment of City Manager

A view of the Medicine Hat city hall in a file photo. CP Photo/Darcy Henton

An Alberta city council has stripped its mayor of her powers and pay, saying she was disrespectful to the city manager during a meeting.

Medicine Hat City Council moved to reduce the responsibilities of Mayor Linnsie Clark for breach of conduct. Her pay was also cut by 50 percent.

The decision was made at a special council meeting on March 21.

“Council finds Mayor Linnsie Clark has breached the City’s Code of Conduct Bylaw 4492 by failing to treat the City Manager with courtesy, dignity and respect during their exchange at the August 21, 2023 Open Council meeting,” the council meeting agenda said.

“Trust and respect must exist between City Council and Administration,” a statement on the city’s website said. “City of Medicine Hat employees are critical to the vitality and success of our community. We rely on staff to bring forward recommendations based on their expertise, knowledge, and insights, and it is imperative that we foster an environment where administration feels safe and respected when interacting with City Council.”

Ms. Clark said she was shocked by the decision.

“I fundamentally disagree with the decision of Council. I find Council’s sanction shocking and absolutely disproportionate,” she said in a March 21 Facebook post. “I am reviewing my legal options and expect to be in a position to provide a further public response after I have done so.”

She said she had promised voters she would tackle “administrative overreach and poor governance.”

“I stand by those principles. I believe holding the City’s administration to account is the role of Council.”

The provincial government said it is aware of the city’s special council meeting and the sanctions against the mayor.

In a statement that was emailed to The Epoch Times, a press spokesperson said Alberta’s Municipal Government Act requires every municipality to establish a code of conduct bylaw. “The Code of Conduct for Elected Officials Regulation sets out requirements for the complaint system within a code of conduct bylaw, as well as sanctions which may be imposed for violations of a code of conduct bylaw.”

Alberta’s municipal relations minister does not have a role in the adjudication of sanctions imposed by a council under a code of conduct bylaw, the statement said.

The exchange in question was about a motion to approve an organizational restructuring that city manager Ann Mitchell conducted.

The mayor questioned why the restructuring, which included job losses, was only brought to the council after its implementation.

“This reorg already happened, and people have already lost their jobs. Why are you bringing it to council now?” the mayor asked during the 2023 council meeting.

Ms. Mitchell said that council had been made aware of the changes in July, but the mayor said council should have given its approval through a resolution.

“My concern obviously is that this is a council decision.”

Ms. Clark said she had received an opinion from a legal professional who determined that the changes made were “null, or in other words, void.”

The city manager replied, “I think this is highly inappropriate and I’d like to stop this discussion right now.”

Ms. Clark said she was concerned that her role as an elected official was not respected, however council proceeded to vote on the organizational realignment, with the mayor being the lone dissenting vote.

At the March 2024 meeting, the council also voted for additional sanctions against Ms. Clark, including a letter of reprimand and a request for an apology.

The mayor will no longer serve as council spokesperson and is prohibited from contacting city staff directly. All communication with the city manager must be conducted via email, with all council members copied. In addition, a third party must be present during any in-person meetings between the mayor and city manager, and the mayor cannot attend administrative committee meetings

It was decided that a rotating chair be used for future meetings and a replacement council representative attend administration committee meetings in future.