A provincial investigation into the city of Chestermere’s financial management during the tenure of its former mayor, Jeff Colvin, who was dismissed along with some city officials and councillors has been released. The 15-week investigation, carried out by Deloitte, highlighted significant financial mismanagement, noting 31 instances of such and giving 94 recommendations for improvement. Key findings included excessive and unapproved expenditures on the mayor’s city-issued credit card, totaling about $53,000, with a substantial portion spent on meals and alcohol.
The report also pointed out other policy violations, such as unauthorized personnel and operational decisions, and a lack of adherence to proper procurement and financial processes, including the hiring of legal services and mismanagement of city assets. These actions were found to contravene the Municipal Government Act.
As a consequence, the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Ric McIver, imposed two binding directives on Chestermere: to address and implement Deloitte’s recommendations and to publicly share the report with the community.
In reaction, the former mayor and his colleagues have challenged their dismissals, alleging a conspiracy and preparing for a potential by-election. The city is currently managed by a province-appointed interim administration while the political and legal challenges continue.
Sources
https://globalnews.ca/news/10488937/chestermere-finances-investigation-recommendations/
Financial Report
https://open.alberta.ca/publications/city-of-chestermere-municipal-inspection-report