There are more questions than answers surrounding the departure of Crossfield's chief administrative officer, Ken Bosman.
As of press time, our newsroom is still unsure exactly why the Town of Crossfield's top administrative employee was suddenly released from his contract, as the meeting where council made the decision was held privately. While the Town has stated no further information will be provided on the matter, we hope it will reverse course, as residents deserve some transparency.
Bosman was a controversial figure in Crossfield. Though the municipality experienced positive accomplishments throughout his six-plus years at the Town's helm – some budgetary successes, new subdivisions and the construction project along Railway Street last year, for example – there were also some low points.
What comes immediately to mind is his Facebook comment last June that criticized some elements of the Black Lives Matter movement. The post sparked controversy in the community, a response from the mayor that denounced his comments – which was taken down from the Town's website for breaching procedure – and a subsequent internal and third-party review.
We believe that affair to be what led to the resignations of two council members, who cited in-fighting between council and staff in their reasons for stepping down from their positions.
The timing of Bosman's departure also comes shortly after the Ministry of Municipal Affairs confirmed it would conduct a preliminary review into certain actions involving the Town of Crossfield. The catalyst for this inspection was a petition signed by 743 Crossfielders – more than 20 per cent of the town's population – requesting the ministry look into the municipality. Such a strong turnout indicates some frustration among residents about how the Town is run.
While Bosman said Municipal Affairs' review is completely independent from the reasons for his departure, the timing seems suspect.
We hope the Town is willing to openly address the reasons for Bosman's departure, to help dispel any speculation, rumours or gossip that will inevitably emerge.
