The Dec. 11 Rocky View County (RVC) council meeting was a marathon with implications for all of RVC. In particular, the controversial appointment of Al Hoggan as CAO. Residents from the last municipality where Hoggan held the CAO position filed a petition with Municipal Affairs (MA) outlining concerns with Hoggan’s leadership – leading to MA opening a preliminary review. Equally concerning is the rushed hiring process. Though Interim CAO Rick McDonald admitted the normal process was not followed, Reeve Greg Boehlke said it was a simple case of council “forgetting” to pass a resolution before a employment contract was signed. Coun. Kevin Hanson, however, suggested the reeve “sought to shortcut” the process, even after council was made aware of the MA review. Boehlke said the information came to light after Hoggan was shortlisted for the position – indicating the new CAO was offered his position with the County’s full knowledge of the investigation. Council also agreed to send a letter requesting a stop to SR1 proceedings, further straining RVC’s relationship with Calgary. Though council is right to protect the interests of RVC and its residents, the reeve’s apparent lack of concern about the impact the decision could have on inter-municipal co-operation is worrisome. Finally, council voted to pass the buck on to ratepayers by voting to give itself a “raise” to cover changes in federal tax exemptions for elected officials. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had the ability to increase our salary in response to tax hikes? As RVC takes a break for the holidays, we hope to see more thoughtful decision-making in the new year.
