City Councillor Buck Buchanan sanctioned for social media comment in January 2021

That day, Buchanan commented on a live video posted to Facebook by former Innisfail town councillor Glen Carritt, who was seen at a Sylvan Lake restaurant breaching public health orders.

Wrote Buchanan: “Good job Glenn (sic) – any AHS yet??”

A tweet (user redacted) shows a screenshot of a comment made by Councillor Buck Buchanan on a Facebook live video on Jan. 27, 2021. (SAGE Analytics)

His sanctions?

Buchanan is to:

· provide a public apology to residents, businesses and staff during a public council meeting for his action, which is said to have, “increased confusion and division during a time of crisis”

· arrange an in-person meeting with Alberta Health Services’ Central Zone medical director to offer a personal apology

· be suspended from all council committees and deputy mayor rotations until sincere apologies are provided

· take social media training hired and paid for by The City

The sanctions do not expire, and remain applicable should Buchanan be re-elected in the fall election. He hasn’t yet announced his intentions.

With one exception, council voted 6-3 in favour of each sanction, with members Dianne Wyntjes, Michael Dawe and Buchanan opposed. Council voted unanimously on the social media item.

Buchanan, who declined to attend a post-meeting press conference, said he doesn’t accept the report, calling it slanted.

“It was very thorough in a certain direction. This was (about) six words (I typed)…It was sent to an individual that was involved in trying to assist in opening a small business. The individual that it was sent to that night…his interpretation was that it was supporting small business, which in my opinion it was,” Buchanan said.

“There was no statement taken from the person that actually had the business, nor was there any statement taken from any of the folks there that night, and there were many Red Deer small businesspeople present that night.”

Buchanan, a former 29-year police officer, claimed too that he spoke with a retired RCMP sergeant who supposedly concurred with his argument that the investigation had gaps.

This is the first time city council has utilized its code of conduct in this way since it was formalized in July 2018 as a requirement under the Municipal Government Act.

Councillor Vesna Higham, who chaired the debate so that Mayor Veer could avoid a perception of bias, doesn’t believe this decision sets any type of precedent, as each complaint is assessed on its own merit.

Higham also explained that from the time of the incident until the formal complaint was filed April 15, Mayor Veer and Deputy Mayor Ken Johnston worked with Buchanan on issuing an apology informally before a formal process had to transpire.

Buchanan, who agreed he needs social media training, ultimately refused.

The four-term councillor (2007) admitted that in the aftermath, he didn’t actually know how to remove the comment, even if he’d wanted to.

Councillor Tanya Handley retorted, saying that isn’t an excuse given he could’ve asked any number of people for help.

“In my work about 11 years back in grievance representation, I’ve never experienced a discipline where an employer takes away duties or jobs,” said Councillor Dianne Wyntjes. “For us to suggest that Councillor Buchanan will now have less work, will mean additional work for all of council — and I’m not opposed to more work; pick me — but at the end of the day, it makes no sense.”

The report by SAGE Analytics recommended four sanctions; all those noted above except the social media training.

City council substituted that for the report’s recommendation that Buchanan be docked pay given that he’d have fewer duties to fulfill.

“We didn’t accept that recommendation upon obtaining legal advice,” explained Higham. “It is unlawful for council to withhold pay of an elected official if it’s the base salary, and that’s because Red Deer has a structure where we have base salaries and that’s it. There’s no extra pay per committee.”

Each councillor sits on about six committees; for Buchanan, council appointments include the nomination committee, Parkland Airshed Management Zone, Central Alberta Economic Partnership, Municipal Planning Commission, Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery Board, and the Governance and Policy Committee.

The SAGE report also notes its recommendations are based on not only the Jan. 27 Facebook comment, but “prior actions.”

“He (Buchanan) also demonstrated a pattern of conduct where he made negative comments that did not promote public confidence in the city’s pandemic response efforts,” it says.

In March 2020, rdnewsNOW reported Councillor Buchanan was refusing to return home from a vacation in Arizona amid calls from the federal government for all Canadians abroad to come back.

He said at the time that he was “pretty much” self-isolating.

Amid backlash, Buchanan apologized for remarks he admitted were “insensitive.”

In November 2020, rdnewsNOW reported that Buchanan had stated during a council meeting that he believed doctors were being muzzled from talking about COVID-19.

City councillor suggests doctors ‘muzzled’ from speaking out about COVID-19

Emergency doctors say city councillor wrong about them being ‘muzzled’ over COVID-19

He elaborated to rdnewsNOW after the meeting, saying his understanding is that carpet fibres could cause a COVID-19 test to be positive.

Local doctors swiftly reached out to rdnewsNOW to rebuke Buchanan’s comments, and even sent a letter to Buchanan, Mayor Veer and then-city manager Allan Seabrooke stating the views of Buchanan’s unnamed medical informant did not represent those of Red Deer Regional Hospital’s emergency department.

In the end, Buchanan was sanctioned on July 26 because of the following breaches of the Council Code of Conduct Bylaw:

• s.7.1, which states “members shall uphold the law established by the Parliament of Canada and the Legislature of Alberta and the bylaws, policies and procedures adopted by Council.”

• s.7.2, which states “members shall respect the Municipality as an institution, its bylaws, policies and procedures and shall encourage public respect for the Municipality, its bylaws, policies and procedures” and

• s.4.1(d), which states, City Council must “arrange their private affairs and conduct themselves in a manner that promotes public confidence.” According to the findings, a social media post made by

The investigation by SAGE Analytics cost taxpayers $20,000.

The City said in May it was investigating two code of conduct complaints. Higham confirmed Monday the other investigation is ongoing with details currently protected by Freedom of Information and Privacy regulations.

The full report, along with an FAQ, can be viewed at reddeer.ca.

by Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

City Councillor Buck Buchanan sanctioned for social media comment in January 2021

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