Linnsie Clark, mayor of Medicine Hat, walks out of city hall on March 27 to address the media. (Eli J. Ridder)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Municipal Election Next Year

Medicine Hat wrestles with uncertain future as mayor launches legal action, files reveal a divided city hall

Mar 28, 2024 | 11:13 AM

Residents of Medicine Hat woke up Thursday with a city government divided in chaos a week after its council stripped the mayor of her powers and cut her salary in the name of upholding respect and fairness.

To some, Mayor Linnsie Clark received appropriate consequences for treating City Manager Ann Mitchell — the highest-ranking unelected employee — with what council says was disrespect during a public meeting last year.

To others, the sanctions are the actions of rogue councillors with a political objective to silence a mayor who was elected with 66 per cent of the vote.

Political observers have called the situation “embarassing” and “draconian”. Residents have shown out in support for Clark at every public opportunity so far — at a March 25 committee-of-the-whole meeting and Clark’s press conference a few days later.

Councillors say business will continue as usual, and Clark has said the moment presents an opportunity for council to work collaboratively on the issues that matter for Hatters.

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That goodwill from councillors and the mayor might only extend so far with Clark filing for a judicial review in the hope the justice system will reverse the sanctions and give her back her powers.

By releasing previously unseen documents included in the third-party Kingsgate Legal investigation into her actions at the August 2023 council meeting, Clark has given the public a glimpse into her side of the story.

The files, published Wednesday to social media, give a glimpse into a city hall divided, lines drawn between the mayor and a council standing with the city manager.

The Clark documents revealed City Manager Ann Mitchell sent a “cease and desist” letter to the mayor and that Mitchell told council she had the legal authority to make a decision based on an opinion that the city solicitor claims he never gave.

A Medicine Hat spokesperson told CHAT News that Mitchell will not be making any comments at this time.

“The City of Medicine Hat has a responsibility to the taxpayers to ensure that any matters like this are handled with the utmost discretion,” the spokesperson said.

“As there is a pending judicial review on this matter, it is not appropriate for the City Manager to make any comments at this time.”

Paul Salvatore is the CEO of Municipal Experts, Inc. (CHAT News)

Paul Salvatore, the CEO and founder of Municipal Experts, said revelations that have appeared from the Clark files only muddied the water further.

“It becomes a magic show from the point of view is you have to decipher what really was said, who said it,” Salvatore told CHAT News on Thursday.

“What was the context of those conversations? And because so much of that information is hidden from the record, you really can’t say.”

The Kingsgate Legal report, the Clark documents and the future judicial review point to a municipal government that could be without a firm resolution to its divisions for the long haul, Salvatore said.

Meanwhile, a municipal election is scheduled for 2025.