A municipal election should be about the candidates, local concerns and policy platforms. In Medicine Hat, the focus of all three is deadeye set on the future of what to do with the city manager.

Ann Mitchell’s first year featured two apologies to council for overstepping her authority and a threat to sue the mayor along with yet another corporate reorganization.

Her second year saw chaos rein at city hall.

Rather than being a mitigating factor to douse the flames lit by council following the Kingsgate report, Mitchell added toxicity to an already poisoned environment with the duly elected mayor locked out of doing her administrative functions.

Her bypassing of the city’s indemnity policy to reimburse her legal expenses incurred with her threat to sue the mayor didn’t instil any confidence in her abilities.

Mitchell’s siloing of administration from elected officials to the point they can no longer use media releases to communicate important messages from council is just one of several obvious detachments from good governance. The mess surrounding the Mustard Seed and communications with the province on the future of shelter services is another.

The open hostility towards the mayor along with seemingly increased friction with Coun. Andy McGrogan as 2024 came to an end is just another log on an already raging toxic fire.

Medicine Hat MLA Premier Danielle Smith is openly musing about amending the Municipal Governance Act when asked about the insanity unfolding at city hall.

There is no reason to believe the city manager’s third year won’t see the mania continue with the long-time city CFO and local community member given the bum’s rush out the doors of city hall during the first month of the year.

Hatters can fill in the blanks left by council in its lack of acknowledgement that he’s no longer sitting around the horseshoe.

Regardless of the findings of a provincial investigator tasked with reviewing city operations, Mitchell’s role in the dysfunction at city hall is clear.

Hatters can and will deal with sitting council members if they choose to run during this fall’s municipal election.

But Mitchell will be overseeing that election process while also being the likely target of attacks by candidates, subtle or not.

Given the circumstances, public sentiment and resentment prevalent in the community regarding how city hall is being run, now is the time to see the city manager salvage whatever grace can be pulled from her departure.

Such a move won’t be easy, it won’t be cheap. But, in the cold calculations of politics, the alternative is not worth the risk.

Hatters don’t need to be versed in the political philosophy of the 18th century’s Jean-Jacques Rousseau to know the social contract between city hall and the public has been irreversibly broken over the past three years.

They didn’t need a King’s Bench court to tell them the sanctions against the mayor were insane.

Nor do they require the province to come in and explain to Hatters who’s right or wrong.

What they want and need is a sliver of faith in their local government.

That simply won’t happen while Ann Mitchell is managing the city.