Chestermere mayor and three councillors removed by province
Along with the political shake-up, Ric McIver, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs, oversaw the firings of three city administration bureaucrats.
CITY OF CHESTERMERE COUNCILLORS AND SENIOR STAFF DISMISSED
— Western Standard (@WSOnlineNews) December 5, 2023
The City of Chestermere is set for a major shakeup as Minister of Municipal Affairs, Ric McIver, issued a ministerial order Monday, dismissing four municipal councillors and all three chief administrative officers (CAOs).… pic.twitter.com/RHQyH2qHzB
Mayor Jeff Colvin, councillors Stephen Hanley, Mel Foat and Blaine Funk, and three top administrators, Kim Wallace, Travis Fillier and Cam Wong, were removed from office effective immediately on Monday by McIver.
'No other reasonable choice': Province fires Chestermere mayor, three councillors; spares three others #abpoli https://t.co/QnBtTii02x via @calgaryherald
— Licia Corbella (@LiciaCorbella) December 5, 2023
“I am confident this action is in the best interest of the citizens of Chestermere, who deserve to have trust and faith in their local government,” McIver said during the Monday press conference announcing the move.
Three other councillors, Sandy Johal-Watt, Shannon Dean, and Ritesh Narayan, were not removed, however, they will not be involved in any governance of the municipality. The three instigated the complaint to the province in 2022 which precipitated the three-month long investigation into the conduct of the council.
That inspection found that the council was managed in an "irregular, improper and improvident manner, and determined that formal directives were appropriate and would be beneficial." The mayor and his allies repeatedly rejected twelve binding directives handed down by Municipal Affairs to correct course.
'The people of Chestermere deserve better' The Province fires Chestermere mayor, three councillors but spares three others .
— Martyupnorth®- Unacceptable Fact Checker 🍎 (@Martyupnorth_2) December 4, 2023
Mayor Jeff Colvin, councillors Steven Hanley, Mel Foat and Blaine Funk, and the city’s three chief administrative officers — who for months have…
The province had planned to dismiss the entire council in the 20,000-person town near Calgary but spared the trio, who will hang onto their jobs until a byelection to be held within six months.
Sheila Gunn Reid
Chief Reporter
Sheila Gunn Reid is the Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News and host of the weekly The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid. She's a mother of three, conservative activist, and the author of best-selling books including Stop Notley.
