City Postpones Private Oath Of Office Ceremony

Results for Medicine Hat’s 2025 municipal election were released late Wednesday and while transparency was an issue during the race, the councillor-elects’ first act – taking the oath of office – will be held behind closed doors.

The top four candidates reported early in the count on Monday evening held on to those positions in the final count with Yusuf Mohammed, Ted Clugston, Stuart Young and Chris Hellman leading the way.

Bill Cocks and Cheryl Phaff solidified their fifth and sixth place finishes over the course of counting on Wednesday.

But the final two spots around the council table had swung widely over the course of vote counting held over three days with Dan Reynish and Brian Varga securing their seats late Wednesday.

Incumbent councillors didn’t fare well in the election race with Andy McGrogan finishing fourth in his bid for mayor, Robert Dumanowski 10th in the council race with candidates Alison Van Dyke coming in 12th and Shila Sharps a distant 24th.

But it won’t be an all-new experience sitting around the horseshoe for all the councillor-elects.

Former city alderman and mayor Ted Clugston, long-time alderman Bill Cocks and two-term councillor Brian Varga will be joining second-term Mayor Linnsie Clark who was declared the winner of the mayoral race Wednesday morning.

The eight councillor-elects are scheduled to join incumbent Mayor Clark for a private swearing-in ceremony Friday morning – rescheduled from Thursday morning – prior to commencing a council training session.

That rescheduling occurred due to, “unforeseen circumstances,” according to an email sent to candidates Wednesday evening and obtained by the Medicine Hat Owl.

The Owl also obtained a copy of an Oct. 17 email sent by Tarolyn Aaserud, acting city manager, city clerk and election returning officer, indicating while the official oath of office will be held in private, a ceremonial swearing-in event will take place Nov. 3.

“In accordance with Section 156 of the MGA, the Oath of Office must be administered after the official results of the election have been declared and prior to participating in council orientation,” read Aaserud’s email. “To meet this requirement, the Oath of Office will be administered prior to the start of orientation on October 23rd, which will not be open to the public.”

Results of the municipal election aren’t official until noon Friday. Requests for comment from Asserud Wednesday evening have yet to be responded to.

Under the city’s procedure bylaw, Friday’s council session is considered its inaugural meeting. It’s unclear which provision of the provincial Access to Information Act the city is utilizing to hold council’s oath of office as a closed session of council.

In brief communications with several councillor-elects and the mayor Wednesday evening, comments ranged from the swearing-in ceremony has been cancelled to postponed to the belief Friday’s proceedings only involves council training.

A Ministry of Municipal Affairs spokesperson wasn’t able to comment Wednesday afternoon on city administration’s scheduling of a private oath of office ceremony commencing prior to official results being declared.