Chestermere city council on the firing line, awaiting report into 'dysfunctional' governance
CBC
The seven members of Chestermere city council — facing potential firing and other sanctions — will hear the results of a months-long investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct today in a private, closed-door meeting.
It's been one year since Jeff Colvin was elected mayor along with six other members of council, and it didn't take long for a series of controversies to erupt in the bedroom community east of Calgary.
A deep divide among council emerged almost immediately after the election. Colvin and three councillors have been able to successfully pass a number of initiatives, outvoting the other three members of council.
Just four months after the election, the three members of council who often found themselves in the minority pleaded with the provincial government to intervene and investigate the actions of the mayor and the other councillors.
The province took the concerns seriously.
It launched a preliminary review in February that sparked a full investigation, which then prompted the appointment of a special administrator to oversee every move that council makes and every decision it approves until at least the end of January.
Mayor Colvin says council is functioning well despite his belief that the three councillors who complained to the provincial government are "undermining" the group.
He claims their comments to the government are a breach of council's code of conduct and the three should be sanctioned.
"False statements and outright lies have been brought forward to either the public or to Municipal Affairs," Colvin told CBC News in a lengthy sit down interview last month.
Ric McIver, the former minister of municipal affairs, referred to council as a dysfunctional group shortly before his portfolio was handed to fellow Calgary MLA Rebecca Schulz.
The Municipal Affairs investigation, carried out by long-time municipal governance consultant George Cuff, included dozens of interviews with current and former employees along with the seven members of council.
Today, councillors are expected to hear the results of that investigation and any possible recommendations aimed at improving local governance. One of Cuff's options is to remove some or all members of council.
Cuff declined an interview request as his report has yet to be delivered to council. That is expected to happen this afternoon behind closed doors. The document must be made public, but it's unclear when that will happen.
Sources have told CBC News that they complained to Cuff about a toxic workplace, multiple dismissals, forced resignations, cronyism and a lack of due diligence and proper procedure during decision-making.
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