Yellowknife City Council is considering whether to censure a councilor for violating ethics rules

Several Yellowknife city councilors say they are in favor of publicly reprimanding a councilor who broke the ethics code by trying to get the city to reimburse her for a laptop she lost.

Council members discussed the issue during a committee meeting on Tuesday. It follows the released a report last month by the area’s integrity commissioner, who recommended councilors censure Coun. Cat McGurk for a “succession of problematic decisions” and “irrational, selfish and persistent” behavior to rationalize her actions.

McGurk has said she accepts the integrity commissioner’s findings and acknowledged she acted improperly in failing to cover the cost of the missing laptop.

“Actions have consequences,” Graaf said. Rob Warburton, during Tuesday’s committee meeting.

“So I think just accepting it and doing nothing sends the wrong message… People think we get a pass just because we say sorry. So yeah, it’s a very difficult one, but I would support censorship.”

The integrity commissioner’s report details how McGurk stayed in the city during the city’s 2023 wildfire evacuation to help coordinate volunteers, and borrowed and then lost the personal laptop of someone who worked for an electrical company involved in the city’s wildfire response .

The report says that later, after McGurk couldn’t find the laptop, he went to two different contractors — neither of whom had ties to the laptop’s owner — and asked them to bill the city for it.

In a statement to CBC, McGurk said she has since paid the person $750 for the missing laptop.

McGurk, who did not participate in Tuesday’s discussion, was seen crying as she left town hall after the meeting adjourned.

Yellowknife residents upset by report, councilor says

Count. Ben Hendriksen said Tuesday he has received questions and comments from Yellowknife residents who are upset about the integrity commissioner’s findings. The residents are wondering what the municipality will do about this incident.

“We must use the very, very limited authority we have to show the public that we understand the pain and mistrust this incident has caused them and that we have taken this incident as seriously as we can,” said Hendrikson.

Hendrikson says censuring or publicly reprimanding McGurk is an appropriate step in this situation.

Count. Steve Payne agreed, saying that while McGurk has expressed regret and apologized, it is vital the council sends the right message.

“We have to be accountable to the public, and the public has been very vocal on this issue,” Payne said.

Mayor Rebecca Alty said censorship is an important tool to show that the city does not support certain behavior. Although McGurk has accepted responsibility, Alty said it is also important to publicly reprimand her for her actions.

“We’ve seen it in the past as well, where the council has issued a censure and the member has already accepted responsibility for their actions. So I think it’s important that we have both,” Alty said.

McGurk took responsibility and should therefore not be censored

Not every council member agrees that McGurk should be censured.

Count. Tom McLennan noted that the integrity commissioner said censure would be an appropriate punishment if McGurk was unwilling to take responsibility for her actions. McLennan said McGurk had accepted her actions and learned from them.

“Given that Member McGurk accepted the report’s conclusions … censure would not be an appropriate punishment,” McLennan said.

Count. Garett Cochrane said McGurk has reached the threshold for taking personal responsibility, but said he will follow the council’s majority.

“If we’re moving toward disapproval, we’re moving toward disapproval,” Cochrane said.

The Council will meet again on November 25 to adopt a motion on the matter.