Ousted mayor fights to get his job back in Chestermere, Alta.

The lawyer for Jeff Colvin, the former mayor of Chestermere, has argued once again that Colvin and three other dismissed members of city council should be returned to office immediately.

Jeff Moroz told the Court of King's Bench justice on Tuesday that the removal of Colvin and councillors Mel Foat, Blaine Funk and Stephen Hanley runs contrary to the decision made by voters in October 2021. 

He said the appointment of Doug Lagore as official administrator representing council has caused the community great harm by "cancelling contracts and making bold policy decisions" and reversing some of the decisions made by the former mayor and councillors.

"It is one person making all of these policy decisions. He's undone what all of these great people have put in place," Moroz said.

"You have irreparable harm."

Colvin and the other councillors are seeking an interim injunction that would set aside Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver's decision to dismiss them on Dec. 4. They have to successfully argue that they've suffered irreparable harm.

They lost a similar, pre-emptive application before they were sacked.

The judge in that case said if the injunction was granted, the harm to the public, namely the residents of Chestermere, would be greater than any harm to the former councillors. Days later, the group was sacked and did not appeal the court's decision.

Colvin says this application is different because they've actually been dismissed.

"The City of Chestermere residents elected all seven of us, they did not elect Doug Lagore," Colvin said outside court with the three former councillors standing next to him. 

"We're here to fight for our residents."

Colvin's team will argue the decision to dismiss them was based on a flawed provincial inspection of how the city just east of Calgary was managed and governed.

McIver also sacked the city's three chief administrative officers at the same time.

The inspection report said the city was being managed in an irregular, improper and improvident manner. McIver let council know last October that he intended to dismiss them and then followed through seven weeks later. He spared councillors Ritesh Narayan, Sandy Johal-Watt and Shannon Dean. Johal-Watt has since resigned.