INNISFAIL – Town council was shocked last week with an unexpected announcement from Coun. Donnie Hill.
The first-term councillor told the other five members of council he was repaying the town the entire cost of the recent Council Code of Conduct investigation into himself. That cost was just under $4,000.
Mayor Jim Romane conceded council were taken by surprise by Hill’s announcement, a brief 70-second presentation at the end of the regular council meeting on March 8.
“Absolutely totally off guard. I was not aware and I don’t think the rest of council was aware either. I was little bit dumbfounded. I didn’t know how to reply to it,” said Romane.
“His heart is in the right place. I think it demonstrates Donnie’s feelings and his responsibility to ratepayers. He is sorry for what has happened and he doesn’t want the taxpayers of Innisfail to have to pay to get through this.
“There certainly wasn’t any coaching from anybody I know of. It was totally on his own.”
Last October, Hill successfully advanced a motion to council to have an external consultant retained to conduct an investigation of council’s “ongoing” code of conduct issues.
The probe, conducted by Edmonton-based SAGE Analytics Inc., looked into his affairs, and later into issues surrounding the conduct of former councillor Glen Carritt who resigned his seat on Jan. 11.
The probe’s findings into Hill were presented to council on Feb. 8. Council received its report on the Carritt investigation on Feb. 22.
During Hill’s presentation to council on March 8 he said he believed in being “fiscally responsible” with taxpayers’ dollars, and takes his council responsibilities seriously.
Hill reminded council that 15 per cent of the total $25,000 bill for the external reviews was for the investigation on him.
He said after his presentation the amount worked out to be about $3,950. The remaining cost was for the Carritt probe.
“I felt it was only appropriate to reimburse the town for the 15 per cent that was spent investigating myself,” said Hill, who added publicly his share had already been handed over to administration. “Innisfail is home to me and I just wanted to make sure I did the right thing.”
Outside council, Hill told The Albertan that when he initiated the process to get an outside investigator for the probe, he never intended taxpayers’ dollars would be misused.
“I think anyone who has been found to have breached a code of conduct should look at potentially just making it right,” said Hill.
“It’s having the confidence of the taxpayers and knowing that you are going to do everything in your power to spend it appropriately.”
The Hill probe concluded he breached one section of the Council Code of Conduct Bylaw.
That section stipulates that when representing the town, public members shall arrange their private affairs and conduct themselves in a manner that promotes public confidence and will “bear close public scrutiny.
During council’s Feb. 8 meeting, a motion was passed to sanction Hill by removing him from all council committees until the legal proceedings involving his private affairs are concluded.
“I can accept that. Public perception is very tough to prove or disprove but I do accept the repercussions of that, and hence I am not on committee appointments at this time,” said Hill.
Hill currently faces charges of sexual assault, unlawful confinement, assault and criminal harassment. While he vehemently denies the allegations, he is scheduled to go to trial at Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench in January of 2022.
In the meantime, Carritt, who was found to have committed numerous breaches, said the only matter he was guilty of from his Council Code of Conduct review was “accidentally” putting his town email address in personal election campaign advertising.
He told The Albertan last week he is willing to pay for any expenses relating to using the work email, but not for any other issues.
“I guess if there is a feeling of guilt then perhaps councillor Hill has that option to pay for that,” Carritt said. “I don’t believe the code of conduct was carried out properly, so I am not going to pay for a service that quite frankly came up with some allegations that are completely unfounded.”
