A move by the province to repeal municipalities’ codes of conduct is drawing criticism from Calgary councillors. Read More
’This doesn’t just affect the internal workings of council, but also impacts public trust and confidence in how our cities govern,’ said Mayor Jyoti Gondek
‘This doesn’t just affect the internal workings of council, but also impacts public trust and confidence in how our cities govern,’ said Mayor Jyoti Gondek
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A move by the province to repeal municipalities’ codes of conduct is drawing criticism from Calgary councillors.
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The meeting of Calgary’s intergovernmental affairs committee on Wednesday included a quarterly update from Alberta Municipalities representatives, a day after Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver tabled Bill 50 — the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act — in the legislature. If passed, the bill would no longer allow municipal councils to abide by their own codes of conduct, instead replacing those codes with a provincewide set of common practices.
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When introducing the bill, McIver argued that municipal codes of conduct have become “weaponized” by elected officials in some towns and cities to silence dissent, resulting in mistrust and dysfunction in local government.
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The province is also contemplating the creation of an independent ethics commissioner for municipalities, according to McIver.
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“(These changes) will help ensure council members are held accountable at the polls every four years by the voters who initially elected them,” stated a provincial news release, which added that elected officials may also be held accountable by the possibility of recall petitions.
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But the changes don’t appear to sit well with some members of Calgary city council, including Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who criticized the legislation as the removal of a framework that holds councillors accountable.
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“This doesn’t just affect the internal workings of council, but also impacts public trust and confidence in how our cities govern,” she said.
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“The role of a code of conduct is not merely procedural; it is fundamental to ensuring that our elected officials and their staff can be held accountable in a structured way.”
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Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra quipped that he was “gobsmacked” by the abolishment of codes of conduct.
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Asked about the new bill by committee members on Wednesday, Alberta Municipalities president Tyler Gandam said the association is still digesting the proposed changes.
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“I think once they get it passed and it’s through royal assent, our association, along with (Rural Municipalities of Alberta), will start working with provincial government on what that provincial code of conduct is going to look like,” he said.
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Gandam noted there have been a handful of examples of codes of conduct being “weaponized,” including in Medicine Hat, whose mayor, Linnsie Clark, was sanctioned last year by her colleagues for alleged breaches of that city’s code. A Calgary judge later set aside most of those sanctions, which included a 50 per cent pay cut and her ability to preside over council meetings.