Four members of Chestermere city council, along with three administrators have been dismissed by the Alberta government, after failure to comply with ministerial directives in place since March.
The Ministerial Order, issued by Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver on Monday afternoon, meant the immediate dismissal of Mayor Jeff Colvin, Coun. Mel Foat, Coun. Blaine Funk and Coun. Stephen Hanley, along with three of the city’s Chief Administrative Officers.
In May 2022, the province ordered a municipal inspection of the City of Chestermere. That report came back in September 2022 showing that Chestermere was being operated in an “irregular, improper and improvident” manner. Then in March, Municipal Affairs issued 12 binding directives to address “key areas of concern.”
Some members of the Chestermere city council remained defiant, challenging the province’s findings in court. That included authorizing city funds to be used in the legal fight against hte Alberta government.
The Court of King’s Bench recently quashed an attempted injunction trying to stop the councillors’ removal. That decision likely paved the way for McIver’s announcement Monday.
“What’s most unfortunate to me is that Alberta’s government has gone out of its way over many months to give the city as much guidance and opportunity as we possibly could to help them comply with their legal requirements, but they have failed to do so,” he said.
“Instead, the city has attacked the integrity of the government’s inspection process, and anyone associated with it and tried to establish a narrative that brings in elements that are not related to the inspection or the directives or the correction of their actions. Enough is enough.”
Councillors spared in the process
McIver also said that the dismissal of Coun. Shannon Dean, Coun. Sandy Johal-Watt and Coun. Ritesh Narayan wasn’t warranted.
He said that their dismissal wasn’t justified, “given their efforts to hold council to account and to attempt to move Council in a more positive direction toward proper governance and governance practice in compliance with legislative requirements.”
“We have been patient and we have been reasonable,” McIver said.
McIver said the municipal inspection report (some redacted) is available for anyone to view online. Other documents related to the Chestermere situation are also available online.
The official administrator that had been appointed, Douglas Lagore, now has the authority to act as council for the City of Chestermere as they no longer have quorum with the four members now dismissed. An interim Chief Administrative Officer has also been appointed.
McIver did say that a byelection for the now-vacant positions would be held in the coming months. An independent review of the City of Chestermere’s finances would also be done and made public.
Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Minister finished by saying that all Chestermere residents would be getting a notice in the mail about the dismissals.
“In the meantime, I want to reassure the citizens of Chestermere that municipal services will be delivered without interruption to the people of Chestermere,” he said.
“Rest assured, your rec facilities will remain open. Your roads will be plowed. Your garbage will be collected.”
