As Chestermere Council Continues to protest, Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver states his disappointment with lack of required actions

Warnings of Further Action are very plain

by Steve Jeffrey

Tensions rise between Chestermere city council and Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver following the council’s continued attempts to dispute a provinceordered investigation into its government. In a letter dated July 21, McIver outlined serious concerns regarding the council’s response to directives issued by the province.

The city of Chestermere came under scrutiny after a municipal inspection concluded in March. The probe found the city’s management was conducted in an “irregular, improper, and improvident” manner, resulting in the imposition of 12 binding directives from the province.

McIver stated that he was “extremely disappointed” with the council’s handling of a particular directive that mandated a review of recommendations by third-party inspector George Cuff. Cuff’s 215-page report was the basis for the province’s directives, and the city council was ordered to formulate a plan to address the report’s findings or provide an explanation for inaction.

“I am concerned that the city’s response does not appear to satisfy this directive, nor does it appear to have been undertaken in good faith,” McIver wrote, hinting at “further action” if compliance is not met. The minister’s warnings could lead to severe consequences, including the removal of city officials.

Mayor Jeff Colvin led the council’s response, reading aloud and dismissing several of Cuff’s findings during meetings in the last month. He maintained that the report showed no evidence and argued that the inspector was biased. “We haven’t been given anything from them — no evidence, no nothing,” Colvin said during a July 11 meeting.

Despite the minister’s criticisms, Mayor Colvin asserts that the council, after consultation with legal counsel, believes they have satisfied the requirements of the directive. “Although council disagrees with the Cuff report and the directives that followed, council respects the legislation and authority of the minister under the legislation and will continue to work with the province in that regard,” Colvin said.

However, this sentiment is not shared among all council members. Three councillors — Shannon Dean, Sandy JohalWatt, and Ritesh Narayan — have disputed Mayor Colvin’s presentation of the document as the whole council’s opinion. Minister McIver concurred, expressing that the document appeared to be penned solely by the mayor, and was essentially read into the record.

Adding to the complexity of the situation, McIver’s letter also expressed concerns about council’s compliance with the supervision of official administrator Douglas Lagore, appointed by the minister last September. Lagore’s presence has sparked contentious exchanges and discord among council members.

Chestermere’s deputy mayor, Mel Foat, voiced frustration over Lagore’s involvement, saying, “We do not need someone from Edmonton — on taxpayer dollars — to come down here and tell us whether or not we’re doing things right. Lagore’s continued presence at Chestermere’s council meetings is “hogwash.”

The ongoing saga places Chestermere in a unique position as the first municipality in Alberta to be subject to a municipal inspection since 2018. The situation continues to unfold as McIver plans to schedule a meeting with the mayor and councillors to further discuss his concerns, focusing on compliance with directives.

As the city strives to move past this conflict, residents and officials alike await the resolution of a situation that has placed Chestermere at the center of provincial scrutiny.