Doug Lagore will be replaced by the city’s new elected officials after they’re sworn in on July 3.
As Chestermere welcomed its new mayor and councillors after a Monday byelection, it also bid farewell to the man who’s filled in as the city’s decision-making authority since four of its former elected officials were fired last year — and supervised those beleaguered politicians prior to that.
“It has come to an end, and this community will now move forward.”
“From the time I started to sit in this council chambers . . . it’s shameful how this community was treated,” said Lagore. “You would not see staff in this room eight months ago unless they had to be — and they were nervous when they were in the room.”
Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver sent Lagore to Chestermere in September 2022, installing him to keep watch of then-mayor Jeff Colvin’s beleaguered city council and holding the power to quash any decision made. The relationship between the supervisor and the now-dismissed council members was acrimonious from the start.
While the province directed the city to adhere to Lagore’s direction, he said he only once received financial information when he requested it for review — the first time he asked.
“Once I got it, I raised questions, and then they would not let (the city’s finance manager) provide the information to me anymore — that bothered me,” he said.
“Just to compound how they treated people here, they locked the doors so I did not have access to a washroom. That’s minor, but it shows you how people were treated in this building.”
‘We hope you never have to return’
When the Alberta government fired Colvin and councillors Mel Foat, Blaine Funk and Stephen Hanley — each of whom were unsuccessful in their re-election bids Monday — in December, Lagore was named their interim replacement until a byelection could fill the empty council seats.
The province also fired three top city officials at the time, appointing interim chief administrative officer Pat Vincent in their stead.
Over the past six months, Lagore has unilaterally moved, voted on and approved each of the city’s resolutions and bylaws — many deconstructing work done during Colvin’s leadership.
Three residents praised the outgoing administrator during Tuesday’s council meeting. Alex Halat told Lagore he brought a “sense of morale and happiness” back to the community, while Joanne Lemna thanked him for supporting the city “when we needed it most.”
“Doug, don’t take this wrong, but we hope you never have to return to Chestermere,” joked Patty Sproule. “But please don’t be a stranger. We will miss you very much.”
Staff members also presented him with a banner signed by many city employees.
The last resolution Lagore ratified before passing the torch to the city’s new elected officials was a symbolic one — accepting the community’s acknowledgment of him and his work to serve Chestermere residents.
“Reluctantly, I will do that,” he told Vincent, earning a laugh from the packed council chambers. “I don’t like to be recognized. I prefer to do my work without being recognized.”
Speech a ‘call to action,’ says mayor-elect
Lagore will soon be replaced by the city’s new elected officials after they’re sworn in on July 3.
Mayor-elect Shannon Dean called Lagore’s speech a “call to action” for him and his new council to ensure they do things by the book, while some incoming first-term councillors said they were moved by the experienced official’s words.
“I teared up when I heard it,” said councillor-elect Janelle Sandboe. “Lagore has done a really good job of keeping things moving and getting things moving in the right direction in the absence of a council, so my gratitude to him, for sure.”
Said councillor-to-be Robert Schindler: “What he had to tolerate was just unacceptable, and he deserves all the accolades for what he’s done for our community. I think all of Chestermere owes him a very large debt of gratitude.”
Coun. Ritesh Narayan, who retained his seat through the byelection — having served alongside Dean as a councillor on Colvin’s council and been spared from the province’s dismissals — said the official administrator’s words “brought back some memories.”
“I was right there with him,” said Narayan. “As he was speaking his heart out, I was very emotional as well . . . hats off to him for not only sticking around but having that professional and assertive presence to help this community get out of the situation we’re in.”
‘Raised the standard of governance in Chestermere’
Vincent told Postmedia on Tuesday that he’s open to staying on as the city’s top official on a permanent basis.
Dean and some councillors have expressed a willingness to retain Vincent, who also has around 50 years of experience in municipal government.
“We need to keep Pat Vincent for as long as we can because, between the two individuals, they have really raised the standard of governance in Chestermere,” said Narayan.
Vincent said the matter of the city’s next CAO will be among the topics discussed once the new council members are sworn in.
Lagore will remain at city hall until the end of July — when his provincial appointment ends — and will help the newly elected council members better learn their roles during that period.