Medicine Hat’s embattled mayor Linnsie Clark has been re-elected after vowing to continue her fight for transparency and accountability.
Clark received about 5,844 votes, according to unofficial results published by the southeast Alberta city on Wednesday morning.
The incumbent, who received less than half the support she got four years ago, asked for patience as she begins an effort to heal a fractured city hall.
“I’m committed to working together with council to rebuild some of the trust that was lost over the last four years,” Clark told CBC News.
“That’s going to take some time, and I just hope the people of Medicine Hat will give this council a bit of a grace period.”
Drew Barnes, who trailed Clark by about 750 votes, conceded on social media shortly after the city declared Clark as the winner.
Drew Barnes, candidate for mayor in Medicine Hat, speaks during an election forum hosted by the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre. (Eli Ridder/CBC)
The former three-term MLA proposed a three-year property tax freeze and said he wanted to “end the chaos” at city hall.
Conflict between Clark, the former city manager and council over the course of the term created an “untenable working environment” at city hall, according to a third-party audit published in July.
Councillors accused the mayor of misconduct and limited her powers last year after a tense exchange between Clark and city manager Ann Mitchell during a public meeting in August 2023.
The municipal inspection also found the city was “managed in an irregular, improper and improvident manner” that led to public distrust of Medicine Hat’s leadership.
Ian McCormack, who was appointed by the Alberta government to author the audit report, said council’s orientation will be key to avoiding a return to division.
“It’s really important for this new council to get to know each other as human beings before they sit around the horseshoe and have to argue policy positions,” McCormack said.
“These people all have backgrounds and families and other jobs or retirement gigs, so they’re all bringing different perspectives to council.”
Council’s recent decisions to reimburse Clark the more than $59,000 she spent taking the city to court and fire the former CAO with cause kept city hall’s discord front of mind ahead of Election Day.
Clark agrees it’s important to have a better start this time.
“I really would like to see council do some conflict resolution because that helps us to communicate better with each other, better with administration, better with the community,” she said.
“And make sure we’re all talking the same language.”
Linnsie Clark, who secured her second term as mayor of Medicine Hat, speaks during an election forum hosted by the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre. (Eli Ridder/CBC)
To some observers and supporters, Clark’s win was a validation of her claims that she was treated unfairly by council and staff over the course of the last term.
“She’ll view this as a success and a vindication,” said Jim Groom, a retired Medicine Hat-based political science professor.
Groom doesn’t expect too many changes to her leadership style.
“I really do think that she feels she was on the right track and that she was doing things correctly, and this election has kind of proved that,” he said.
Municipal consultant George Cuff, who is running council orientation for cities and towns across Alberta this month, said there’s pressure on Clark as the new term starts.
“It’s on the mayor to deliver now that she’s convinced a sufficient number of people that she should be vindicated,” said Cuff, who last year advised council on its role within city hall.
“She has to live up to that conviction of providing good quality leadership, which depends on her ability to work with her colleagues and council.”
The race to decide the eight councillors who will join Clark around the horseshoe was still undecided as of Wednesday morning.