While Criticisms Of Councillors’ Actions Mount, Resistance To acknowledge Harms Persist

Kelly Allard interviews Mayor Linnsie Clark on April 9, 2025. (Photo Thomas Fougere)

For half of this council’s term to date, it’s been dealing with a code of conduct complaint and the accompanying fallout from the sanctions leveled against Mayor Linnsie Clark.

There’s been public backlash regarding councillors’ sanctions and a bruising King’s Bench justice’s ruling against their actions. The recent comments by the Minister of Municipal Affairs using Medicine Hat as an example of how councils can weaponize code of conduct complaints is the latest – but possibly not the last – example of a dogpile of criticism against councillors.

According to Clark, none of her council colleagues have acknowledged to her there was anything wrong in their actions against her.

“It may be some of the councillors are there at this point,” said Clark. But she added, “none of the councillors who voted on the resolution – the sanctions – have acknowledged anything amiss in their decision.”

Clark stated there could be an emotional attachment by councillors to their actions.

“It is easy to dig in and be defensive of your decision even when it’s been struck down. But I hope that cooler heads prevail and individual councillors can perhaps take a second look at some of their actions,” said Clark.

Clark lamented the timing of municipal affairs Minister Ric McIvor’s comments coming less than a day after the city was featured favourably during a CBC national broadcast. But the provincial government’s actions to get rid of municipal code of conducts is welcome.

“I’m grateful they’ve taken this issue seriously,” said Clark, adding the use of Medicine Hat’s code of conduct has been damaging to her personally and financially.

“To have our situation be used – which I hoped for all along – to move some of the legislation forward that is necessary for better functioning municipal councils, I feel very gratified by that,” said Clark.

She described the whole process of the code of conduct complaint as having a chilling effect on public debate.

“If you are always at risk of having half of your salary cut and being told you are not allowed to talk to anyone who works for the city – those types of things – you’re maybe not saying what you think needs to be said,” stated Clark.

Time is winding down on this council’s term as the October municipal election looms large. And big discussions on the city’s utility management structure, a new solar project, finding a new shelter space for unhoused and a new southside rec centre remain.

A new procedure which this council initiated regarding notices of motion has seen a flurry of additions to council agendas.

And Clark says there is still outstanding requests to city administration which have accumulated over the past three years.

“Those things should be done,” she said. “I would probably put that as the number one priority – what are the things we’ve already asked to provide and let’s get those things for sure. What are some commitments we’ve already made to members of the public – let’s focus on those. But it’s quite difficult to even get a list of what is being worked on for council and then we can prioritize those things.

I’m hopeful we can get to a point we have a list of the tasks and we can prioritize them for our staff instead of having staff prioritize for us.”

The municipal election is slated to be held on October 20, 2025.

The full interview can be viewed here.