Medicine Hat Minute: Issue 231

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

📅 This Week In Medicine Hat: 📅

• Today, at 4:00 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. Council will hear from a delegation from the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society regarding Family Violence Prevention Month - and the activities of the Society. Family Violence Prevention Month features a full schedule of community events, including a memorial walk, school activities, safety workshops for seniors, and several awareness displays across Medicine Hat. Local shelters and support programs continue to provide 24/7 help through phone, text, and web chat, along with emergency housing at Phoenix Safe House and longer-term support through Musasa House. Over the past year, these services assisted 750 people, including 185 children, through shelter stays, outreach programs, and youth activities. Phoenix Safe House offers a secure 30-bed facility with basic needs, individualized support, and safety planning, while Musasa House provides 10 townhouse units for families needing extended stability. Outreach programs focus on one-to-one support, parenting help, and group programming for children and youth. 
  
  
• Council will also discuss the Tri-Annual Management Report for the Period Ending August 31st, 2025. The report shows the City ended August 2025 in a strong financial position, with tax-supported services generating a $36.4 million surplus - about $4.2 million better than planned. Higher investment gains, fewer tax write-offs, major permit revenue, and vacancy savings helped boost results, though costs tied to new legislation, legal fees, and encampment cleanup created pressure.  The capital program is tracking under budget, with projected costs coming in $63.5 million lower than the original $748.1 million plan. The City’s investment portfolio grew to $834.9 million and outperformed its benchmark with a 6.69% return. Staffing levels reached 1,590 employees, including 68 vacancies, alongside $1.1 million in severance payments and $0.5 million in bonuses issued so far this year.
  
  
• Council is preparing to decide whether to demolish the former Riverside School building, after the Municipal Planning Commission approved a development permit for its removal. The school, located at 201 Second St. NW, has been deemed a safety hazard and has faced vandalism since its closure on June 30th, 2017. The demolition would make way for low-density residential lots, and while some community members suggested salvaging parts of the building, there are no formal restrictions preventing its removal as it is not a designated historic resource.
  
  
• At its first regular meeting on November 10th, Medicine Hat’s new Council was introduced to the 2026 budget through two presentations covering Energy Production, Land Development & Real Estate, and Electric and Gas Distribution. Presentations outlined the budget framework, key components, and the City’s overall financial position to help Councillors make decisions in upcoming discussions. Councillor Stuart Young described the session as “drinking from a firehose,” but emphasized that it provided foundational knowledge for Council’s work over the next four years. He noted that Councillors would spend the following weeks reviewing departmental details, understanding the numbers more deeply, and preparing questions. 
  
  
• Shila Sharps reflected on her time on Council, saying she ran initially to give downtown business owners a stronger voice in City decisions. Elected in 2021 by a 1,500-vote margin, she was not re-elected in 2025, a result she attributes to the turbulent final half of her term, including public disputes between Mayor Linnsie Clark and City Manager Ann Mitchell. Sharps said that while she initiated a code of conduct complaint, she believes social media distorted her role in the conflict. She said she accomplished her goal of increasing advocacy and visibility for downtown businesses and hopes the new Council will clearly define its objectives and stand up for citizens as she tried to do.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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