A municipal inspection of City of St. Albert governance will finally get underway, eight months after city council requested it last July.
The inspection is coming in the nick of time, because the results are expected in September, just before the next municipal election.
The investigation is intended to get to the bottom of city councillor conflicts with each other and staff that were brought to a boil when then-city councillor Gilles Prefontaine was hired for a senior city hall management position that some allege was created for him. The Prefontaine hiring necessitated a byelection, and triggered longstanding divisions between some councillors and city staff.
When St. Albert city council asked the province to intervene under Section 571 of the Municipal Government Act, the issues cited included friction between councillors, councillors stepping too far into day-to-day administration of the city and staff safety concerns.
The MGA is the legislative framework that governs the behaviour and functions of municipalities across the province. But when municipalities get into trouble, a municipal inspection is an independent means to verify if rules are being followed.
Alberta Municipal Affairs has appointed experienced inspector George Cuff to conduct the St. Albert investigation, which is expected to take about six months. Provincial officials conducted a preliminary inspection in the fall and determined that a “limited scope” inspection focusing specifically on an in-depth review of governance practices was warranted.
The inspection will cost city taxpayers between $60,000 and $120,000.
That is a significant cost, that would be all for naught if recommendations cannot be applied to current city council. This is important because the inspection may reflect on the actions of councillors, some of whom may be running in the election.
Voters deserve to know in advance whether their elected officials were following the rules. Inspection results could influence the outcome of the election if it reflects on the behaviours of sitting councillors.
The municipal inspection of St. Albert may be among the last under current MGA rules. The Alberta Municipal Government Act is being overhauled to address shortcomings. One of the public criticisms has been that municipal inspections don’t always hold councils to account between elections. Changes are intended to make the process easier and possibly take less time.
Changes are welcome that would make holding municipalities to account more efficient and timely. This has the potential to improve governance at the local level.
If there have been violations of the rules as dictated by the MGA, Cuff will undoubtedly uncover them. His findings could lay the groundwork for a most interesting municipal election.
