DIDSBURY - Coun. Joyce McCoy was not given any committee assignments at this week’s Town of Didsbury council organizational meeting, continuing sanctions imposed following social media statements she made in March.
Those sanctions included removal from all committees, boards and other external appointments.
However, McCoy says a meeting with Town of Didsbury Mayor Rhonda Hunter has been scheduled for next week to discuss the possibility of her being placed back on committees.
“The sanctions have not been lifted at this point but I’m meeting with the mayor on Tuesday (Oct. 31) where they are supposedly removing them,” McCoy said Friday. “As it stands right now, I’m still under sanction.
“I think they assigned all the committees (at the organizational meeting) because the meeting had to happen, and so they assigned it, and they hadn’t had a chance to meet with me yet.
“What happened was I was away in September (on a personal matter) so I couldn’t meet in person and the mayor insisted that it had to be done in person. So that’s why the delay, I believe.”
On March 14, council carried a motion sanctioning McCoy.
According to the official letter of reprimand published by the town at the time, McCoy had made a “recent attack on staff and untrue statements made by them on social media” promoting a code of conduct review.
“These statements served to undermine public confidence in administration and council and are therefore extremely harmful to the town and the community.”
In the letter, the town said, “If your (McCoy’s) conduct improves over this year and you cease making critical and disparaging comments about staff, they you will be considered again for council assignments and professional development at the next organizational meeting held this year, in October.”
Two weeks after McCoy was officially sanctioned, her committee assignments were transferred to other councillors.
