Medicine Hat Minute: Issue 227

Medicine Hat Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Medicine Hat politics

📅 This Week In Medicine Hat: 📅

• It’s Election Day! Polls are open from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm. In case you missed it, check out our 2025 Municipal Election Survey, revealing where Mayoral and Council candidates stand on key issues like safety, affordability, taxation, and accountability. We have published their unedited responses so voters can make informed choices. Some candidates answered, others declined - but all responses, or lack thereof, offer insight into their priorities.
  
  
• The City of Medicine Hat will offer free transit service today, to help residents access polling stations. The Returning Officers says the initiative is meant to make voting easier and more affordable for all electors. The City confirmed that all transit buses and stops can accommodate wheelchairs and walkers, and special transit users will also receive free service.
  
  
• Alberta’s 2025 municipal election results are expected to take several days to be finalized due to new provincial legislation requiring all ballots to be hand-counted. Municipalities across the province have doubled or even tripled their election staff to manage the process. Counting will begin immediately after polls close but is expected to continue in shifts, with overnight pauses to prevent errors from fatigue. Advance voting and regular ballots will be tallied using these manual methods. Officials stress that the priority is accuracy over speed, with official results required to be submitted to the province by noon on October 24th. While the changes have drawn criticism from some municipal groups, the provincial government maintains that hand-counting ensures greater confidence in the election outcome. Residents are being asked to exercise patience as officials carefully process and verify each ballot.
  
  
• City staff are formalizing a policy to improve transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement for the postponed Transportation Master Plan, along with the Active Transportation Strategy and Transportation Safety Strategy. Council delayed approval of these plans in September, aiming to revisit them in the first quarter of 2026. The updated policy will clarify project design processes, outline public and Council involvement at each stage, and ensure alignment with strategic priorities and planning documents such as the Municipal Development Plan. Future transportation projects will include detailed active transportation considerations, traffic data, and enhanced public engagement through surveys, workshops, and open houses. Staff plan to finalize the engagement plan in the coming weeks, complete public consultation by the end of January 2026, and report back to Council for a decision by the end of the first quarter. The postponement allows for additional public input, building on earlier consultations that included two open houses, a survey, and a non-statutory public hearing with substantial feedback from residents. 
  
  
• Medicine Hat Police Chief Alan Murphy’s contract has been extended through 2031, allowing him to continue leading the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) for another seven years. Since his appointment in 2022, Murphy has focused on strengthening community partnerships, enhancing engagement, and developing initiatives such as a police training partnership with Medicine Hat College and youth mentorship through the First Responder Academy. He has also prioritized modernizing MHPS equipment and training to better meet the evolving needs of the community. The Medicine Hat Police Commission say that the extension reflects their confidence in Murphy’s leadership and his role in fostering strong relationships between the police service and residents. Chief Murphy expressed gratitude for the support of MHPS staff and the Commission, noting he looks forward to continuing to serve the community. 

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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