Rob: I really feel for a Banff Mayor Karen Sorenson, the victim of what I would personally consider something of a smear campaign.

Tanya: Allegations from two citizens of Banff, Jamie MacVicar and Barry Kelly, of corruption and financial benefit from her position. The Town of Banff’s benefits package is brokered through the mayor’s husband’s business and has been for about 15 years. A complaint was made to the RCMP. There was also a complaint council voted to have independently investigated. Both, according to the mayor, clear her of wrongdoing.

Rob: It sounds like these two Banff residents have taken it to the court of public opinion with this envelope drop on doorsteps with a dossier detailing a number of allegations, serious enough that it warrants essentially the resignation of the entire council of Banff.

Tanya: The Minister of Municipal Affairs can also dissolve town council. They would like to see that happen as well.

When council votes on the overall budget, we’re talking $50 million worth and not specific items. It’s not council that makes the decisions on how contracts are awarded. In 2016, the mayor did recuse herself for conflict of interest because administration wanted to review the benefits package which involved a review of the broker, which is her husband. That was a very clear conflict of interest. The solution to this might be that, at budget time, anything that could potentially be a conflict has to be separated out.

Rob: That’s definitely an issue here, but the main issue is the fact that we have these two private citizens of Banff who are making all these allegations in the public realm. Allegations that have supposedly been disproven by two different investigations. The public has not seen those investigations. I believe there’s going to be conversation at Banff council on Monday to potentially make at least the third party one that was contracted out by the Town public. But if these investigations do indeed clear everybody of any wrongdoing here, yet these allegations are being made in the public sphere, does that not open them up to a defamation of character kind of lawsuit?

Tanya: Oh, it would for sure. If that’s the route that gets taken this is going to be really long and drawn out. Perhaps that’s part of the intention of the way this was done. And well played, because this is pretty serious, not just what was alleged, but how it’s being alleged.

 

Filed under: Banff, Mountain Insider