Fort McMurray Minute: Illegitimate Bonuses, Labour Agreement, and Council Promotes Themselves

Fort McMurray Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Fort McMurray politics

This Week In Fort McMurray:

• This evening, at 6:00 pm, there will be a Vehicle For Hire Committee meeting. The Committee will discuss some statistics and emerging trends. On Tuesday, at 4:00 pm, there will be a Council meeting. Unfortunately, the entire meeting is closed to the public, and all of the items being discussed are confidential. The agenda notes that Council will be discussing land matters, financial matters, an Administrative briefing, and Council’s Excellence Awards.
  
  
• On Wednesday, at 2:00 pm, there will be a meeting of the Homelessness Initiatives Strategic Committee. The Committee will receive a presentation regarding the Community Plan on Homelessness, and will end with a closed session to discuss an Administration Update on 2024-2025 Program Funding. Also on Wednesday, at 5:30 pm, the Regional Advisory Committee on Inclusion, Diversity and Equity will meet. The agenda includes the establishment of working groups for Human Rights Day, Pride Month, and a Workplace Inclusion Charter Recognition Ceremony.
  
  
• Continuing on Wednesday, the Public Art Committee will meet at 5:30 pm. The Committee will discuss a Street Banner Program Update, a Bench Program Update, and a Review of Wood Buffalo Mural Fest, among other items. To end the day, at 6:00 pm, the Community Investment Program Approval Committee will meet. On the agenda is a discussion about the 2023 program outcomes.

Last Week In Fort McMurray:

• The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s part-time Councillors voted 6-3 to transition to full-time status without any public notice. The surprise motion, proposed by Councillor Kendrick Cardinal, didn't specify salary changes or the duties of full-time Councillors. Some Councillors argued for more time and public input, while others emphasized the need for a full-time Council to address the region's challenges effectively. Councillors Cardinal, Keith McGrath, Ken Ball, Funky Banjoko, Shafiq Dogar, and Loretta Waquan voted in favour of becoming full-time Councillors, while Mayor Bowman and Councillors Jane Stroud and Allan Grandison were opposed. (Councillor Ball was the only official in favour who voted to have a public debate on the issue). Councillors Lance Bussieres and Stu Wigle were absent from the vote. Banjoko and Dogar later said they regretted skipping public debate, while Cardinal said he didn’t care that residents are angry.
  
  
• The Municipality and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 1505 have reached an agreement to preserve full-time union jobs, retracting plans to cut 459 positions. While some exempt roles have been eliminated and managerial changes are underway, no unionized staff will face layoffs. The agreement includes attrition-based reductions for vacant positions, strategic job consolidations, and adjustments to overtime usage to reduce costs.
  
  
• The Municipality alleged that their former Director of Human Resources hid over $1 million in "illegitimate bonuses," including $100,000 for herself, during 2021-2023. These bonuses were allegedly concealed and not disclosed to staff, who were told there were no funds for raises amidst shrinking revenues. The Director in question, fired last October, received a severance of about $101,280, which the RMWB claims they wouldn't have paid if aware of the allegations. A lawsuit seeks at least $201,958.30, covering her severance and alleged self-bonus, punitive damages, and legal costs.