City Manager Announces Retirement Date

Medicine Hat – City Manager, Robert Nicolay, has declared his final day with the City of Medicine Hat after a combined 20 years of service to the City organization. 

Nicolay started with the City of Medicine Hat in 1981 in what was then known as the Utilities Finance department. He moved through a number of roles before leaving the City to pursue other opportunities and subsequently spent 20 years in roles across a variety of sectors including the power industry, Olympics, oil and gas and private consulting in the US and in Canada. Ultimately returning to local government, he spent time as City Manager in Grande Prairie before returning to Medicine Hat in 2018 as the City Manager. 

Nicolay’s original contract with the City expired in October 2021 and was extended to support the transition of a newly elected City Council. With the orientation of the current City Council now complete and the 2022 budgets approved, Nicolay determined that retiring prior to Council’s strategic planning process would be ideal. 

“City Manager Nicolay shared his intention to retire with us last year and expressed a desire to choose a date that would best serve Council and the community. He suggested that a date prior to our strategic planning process would optimize alignment and relationship building between Council and remaining executive leadership as we set our course for the next four years,” said Mayor Linnsie Clark. “I think this demonstrates not only his interest in the success of this Council, but also his confidence in our entire senior leadership team.” 

Reflecting on a 40-year career, Nicolay is quick to point to the joy in working with people. 

“I have thoroughly enjoyed a fascinating career over 40 years, worked with some wonderful and extraordinary people, and experienced an exceptional blend of private sector and public sector purpose. But now it’s time to transition into retirement and I am keen and eager to do so. I will genuinely miss the people with whom I have worked, the Boards and City Councils I have felt privileged to serve and especially, the opportunity to directly serve the community in our precious Medicine Hat,” said Nicolay. 

During his term as City Manager, Nicolay guided the organization through significant challenges, launching the Accelerated Financially Fit Initiative to reduce reliance on commodity revenues and financial reserves, addressing financial challenges associated with the abandonment and reclamation of City-owned, uneconomic gas wells, and contending with the many difficulties created by the global pandemic. 

“Bob served under the direction of the previous Council and did so very effectively. With a new council and new direction in place, Bob’s desire to align his retirement date with the development of a new strategic plan made sense,” said City Councillor Shila Sharps, Chair of the Council Employee Committee. “I wish him the very best in his retirement.” 

City Council is working on a transition plan and will share more details on how the role will be filled once confirmed. Nicolay will step back from his City Manager responsibilities at the end of January to enable Council to work more directly with the executive leadership team in forging and commencing execution of the new strategic direction. 

An acting City Manager role will facilitate decision making and Council interface during the transition period. The announcement of this protocol will be made once determined. 

Nicolay will remain available to Council as an executive resource during the transition period but will consume accumulated vacation time etc. leading up to the end of his employment period on July 9. 

“I want to thank City Council, the City organization and the people of this extraordinary community for your support and guidance as I worked to serve Medicine Hatters to the best of my abilities,” said Nicolay. 

Mayor Clark offered both thanks and well wishes from Council. 

“On behalf of Council, I want to express our gratitude to City Manager Nicolay for his diligent service to our City, especially through such a difficult period. I wish City Manager Nicolay and his partner abundant health, joy and fun as they enter this exciting new chapter.” 

A transition and recruitment plan for the City Manager role will be developed in the coming weeks.

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