INNISFAIL – Amidst a growing number of municipal leaders being targeted with questionable allegations under Alberta’s new Recall Act, Innisfail mayor Jean Barclay says the situation and its process makes “no sense.”
She pointed to the current situation in Wetaskiwin where the current mayor is facing recall action because of his support for a homeless shelter.
“A single vote by a mayor doesn’t decide whether there's a homeless shelter or not. That has to be a majority (council) decision,” said Barclay. “Here you have a group of people who don't want a homeless shelter, even though Wetaskiwin is struggling in that regard.
“And because you have a group of people that don't like it they can now recall the mayor? That makes no sense.”
But there may be action coming soon to blunt the flurry of Recall Act complaints against elected leaders.
Last month, the province said it was considering changes to the recall legislation.
The Recall Act, also known as Bill 52, was brought in two years ago to give citizens a chance to recall an MLA, councillor, or school trustee.
In municipalities the application cost is $500, and if it is accepted by the municipality’s chief administrative officer each applicant has 60 days to collect signatures of 40 per cent of the electors in the politician's constituency.
At last count there has been 11 attempts to recall a municipal politician, including six councillors and five mayors, including Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek and Wetaskiwin mayor Tyler Gandam, the latter also being the president of Alberta Municipalities, an advocacy organization for more than 250 provincial municipalities.
“I am happy that they (province) are willing to take a look at it. It's very obvious that it's being weaponized right now,” Gandam told the Albertan, adding he plans to set up a meeting with Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver. “In my case, I supported a homeless shelter and somebody was able to get some backing and is now on a mission to have me recalled because it wasn't something they were in favour of.
“The provincial government has made legislation available for the general public to threaten an individual if they don't listen to what they want, which might not necessarily be in the best interest of the entire community,” he said. “It just goes against what one person or group of people think the decision should have been.”
Gandam also believes that if the current situation continues unabated it could deter many potential qualified citizens from seeking public office.
He notes the concern is higher now due to the loose parameters of the Recall Act, and the level of abuse elected officials have taken since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I know firsthand from people who now are no longer interested in either running or running again because they’ll be threatened with recall legislation,” said Gandam, who is currently in his third term on council, second as mayor.
“Differences of opinion isn't something to recall somebody,” he added. “This is why we have elections every four years, so that we can elect the best representatives in our communities, and not to be using a recall petition to get members of council to vote the way that you think they should, as opposed to thinking of voting in the best interest of the community.”
Gandam will find out on April 12 whether the Recall Act complaint against him has secured 40 per cent of the electors in Wetaskiwin, about 5,062, and that each one of them is of voting age and a valid resident.
Meanwhile in Innisfail, Barclay is a popular mayor and leads a progressively-minded town council in a historically and staunchly conservative area of the province.
Is she at all concerned that an individual or a group will target her under the Recall Act?
“It doesn't worry me. It is what it is, and you can't stop things like that happening,” said Barclay, looking again at what has transpired in Wetaskiwin. “Without question it is out of hand. When you take Wetaskiwin as an example, like recalling the mayor; the Hope mission coming in there to build a facility for people who are living on the street or living in camps, and can now have a place to live.
“That seems somewhat ridiculous.”
