By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

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Blackfalds reviews two council code of conduct complaints

Nov 19, 2021 | 5:10 PM

Blackfalds town council recently took initial steps to review two formal complaints made under the Council Code of Conduct bylaw.

The complaints were received Oct. 26 and Nov. 1, and involve accusations against one member of town council.

“These complaints were determined to meet the required procedures under the bylaw’s formal complaint process, and council discussed these complaints during the in-camera portion of the November 9 regular council Meeting,” the Town says in a release.

“The meeting was conducted with the council member identified in the complaints recusing themselves from the discussion.”

Council concluded that one complaint did not contain grounds for further investigation, however the second justified gathering additional information, the Town adds. The two complaints were not made by the same person.

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“Once all information is considered, council will be in a position to determine if the complaint falls within the threshold of requiring a formal investigation against the councillor in question,” states Chief Administrative Officer Myron Thompson.

The nature of the complaints remains under wraps, though rdnewsNOW has learned that the one still under review led to the resignation of Amanda Valin.

Valin was elected for the first time to town council in the Oct. 18 municipal election, but announced she was stepping away in the days that followed.

In a Facebook post (shortened, but unedited below) on her now-deleted election campaign page, Valin addressed why she wasn’t at the Oct. 26 swearing-in ceremony.

“This election process has turned what should have been a very exciting and optimistic experience into a nightmare for me and my family. From the very start of the campaign I found myself repeatedly singled out by one member of council,” she wrote.

“When I asked for boundaries on how to be contacted this person repeatedly overstepped that and continued to ignore my requests. Eventually, because this harassing behavior wouldn’t stop, my husband reached out privately to this person to reiterate what I had already requested.

“That single message from my husband was then met with threats. This individual later spoke with me on the phone and not only repeated that same threat against my husband but then escalated it even further.”

Valin went on to say she does not tolerate bullying, harassment nor intimidation, adding to rdnewsNOW two weeks ago that she preferred not to say too much until a formal investigation is underway.

While rdnewsNOW is choosing to maintain the confidentiality of certain details due to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP), Valin told us Friday that she is cooperating with the Town and providing them with materials they need to potentially turn its review into a formal investigation.

She tells rdnewsNOW she simply doesn’t want to see what allegedly happened impact a future candidate.

The Town of Blackfalds says more information will be provided to the public, when permissable, as the process moves forward.

“Council is meeting with both parties separately to gather more information. That takes place next week and in fulfilling that process we will know if the investigation proceeds,” adds CAO Thompson.

“Council reviews the Council Code of Conduct bylaw annually at the organizational meeting that takes place every October. Administration did indicate that a review and update of the bylaw will be conducted in the near future.”

Thompson says which updates there will be are undetermined, but that it should come before council in January.

Meantime, the Town has announced a by-election will take place on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. The deadline to submit nominations is noon on Dec. 13.