Council-Elect Oath Of Office to Be Held Nov. 3

Politicians taking their oaths of office is a celebratory event shared with friends, family and the public to commemorate the moment a candidate becomes an elected official.

That public democratic tradition is shared in the iconic images of presidents taking an oath outside the US Capitol to cellphone pictures in the small village office in Ma-Me-O Beach following an election.

But that public tradition in Medicine Hat was threatened this week as city officials scheduled an official oath of office to be held behind closed doors.

That is, prior to the province stepping in to assist the municipality in understanding legislative changes and following reporting on the issue by the Medicine Hat Owl.

Former city alderman Graham Kelly. (Photo CMH)

Graham Kelly, the city’s longest serving alderman, said taking an oath of office behind closed doors is something he’s never experienced during his time on council starting in 1977, stretching to 2013. Nor is it something he’s ever heard any other municipality do.

“It’s always in public,” Kelly told the Owl. “It’s an important event. I don’t know what the reason could possibly be to have it in private.”

In an email sent to media outlets by mayor-elect Linnsie Clark Thursday, she explained the issue stemmed from the city’s interpretation of legislative changes by the provincial government. That interpretation was centred around whether council-elect could participate in orientation sessions prior to taking an oath of office.

Following being informed on Thursday by Gary Sandberg, Municipal Affairs assistant deputy minister, that wasn’t necessary, the city’s decision was reversed.

“As a result of (Thursday’s) conversation between the acting city manager and the assistant deputy minister, the oath of office will be administered to incoming council in public at our inaugural meeting on November 3, 2025,” read Clark’s statement.

Bill Cocks, longtime city alderman and current councillor-elect, took a different tone regarding holding an oath of office, calling it “perfunctory” and criticizing the Owl reporting on the issue.

 “There’s no such thing as ‘an official oath of office.’ An oath is an oath is an oath,” stated Cocks, noting a second, public swearing-in ceremony was scheduled to be held Nov. 3 and council needs to get cracking on the running the city.

Councillor-elect Bill Cocks. (File Photo)

“An oath is a promise whether made in a public or private setting. No one needs to see it happen except the commissioner of oaths,” stated Cocks “We’re just not making the ceremony of it the first time in order to save time. Do you think the media needs to be there? Will your presence make it more solemn? More effectual? I don’t think so. We’re not doing in secret. We’re just not doing it in public.”

But Kelly, who sat on council with Cocks, took issue with his former colleague’s last statement.

“I don’t know what the difference is,” he said. “I just know we always did it in open.”

City officials had originally scheduled council-elects’ oath of office for Thursday morning.

In a statement to the Owl, Dan Williams, Minister of Municipal Affairs indicated what the quickest timeline for swearing-in council-elect members can be.

“It is our understanding that the city will be administering the oath of office sometime after noon on Friday, only after the official results have been posted,” he stated.

In an email to candidates Wednesday evening prior to even the unofficial results being posted, city staff indicated council-elect’s orientation sessions were required to be postponed, “due to unforeseen circumstances.”