Norman Wells mayor and council ask councillor to resign

The Town of Norman Wells’ mayor and council have passed a resolution calling on one of their fellow councillors to resign.

A resolution passed during a February 10 meeting asks councillor Heidi Hodgson to immediately resign, citing alleged “infractions against council policies and procedures.”

Council members also asked Hodgson to repay money owed to the town and send an apology letter to people she emailed without council’s approval.

If Hodgson declines to resign voluntarily, the resolution stated, council will seek legal advice on further sanctions related to alleged breaches of confidentiality involving sharing confidential information to parties outside council, libellous statements against mayor and council, and signing personal emails as “councillor Hodgson.”

In an email to Cabin Radio, Hodgson denied she had violated council procedures and bylaws or attempted to cause harm to the town, mayor or council.

Hodgson said she has raised concerns related to governance process, litigation exposure, authorization, documentation deficiency and financial oversight.

She said that included requests for monthly financial reporting on the record and questions about whether litigation decisions have been formally authorized and documented.

“Raising governance concerns in my capacity as an elected councillor does not constitute misconduct,” she wrote.

“This is about transparency, process, and accountability,” she added.

“I understand that raising governance concerns can create tension, but transparency and lawful process remain essential.”

Cease and desist letter

The resolution followed a cease and desist letter sent to Hodgson on February 2 by Michael Penner, a lawyer representing the Town of Norman Wells.

The letter claims Hodgson sent correspondence to various members of the NWT legislature and the town’s insurer that included confidential information. The letter further alleges the correspondence was “a deliberate attempt to cause harm” to the Town of Norman Wells, its senior executive officer and mayor and council.

Hodgson described the letter as reframing her communication with oversight bodies as confidentiality breaches. Before reaching out to oversight bodies about her concerns, Hodgson said, she had “made every effort to work within council’s established procedures, bylaws and internal processes.”

Penner’s letter also states that Hodgson owed the town $675.20 related to airfare for personal travel after flights the town booked for Hodgson to attend a riverbank erosion workshop were changed.

Hodgson said she advised council in writing that she was unable to attend the workshop for health reasons and would reimburse the town for any associated costs. She said that email was not acknowledged and concerns about outstanding debt were not raised at the time.

Hodgson said she paid the town $500 during the February 10 meeting and was waiting on documentation to clarify the precise amount referenced.

In response to Cabin Radio’s request to Mayor Frank Pope for comment, Penner responded with a statement asserting that Hodgson was “provided detailed explanation as to what statutory standards and procedures she is alleged to have violated and what council’s expectations are for her behaviour going forward.”

“She was invited to resign in the event she does not care to comply with those directions,” Penner wrote.

Penner said many of the issues Hodgson has raised were addressed during a meeting between council and representatives of the NWT Department of Municipal and Community Affairs on February 9. He said the department reviewed the town’s actions and “no significant concerns were identified.”

Hodgson confirmed she attended the meeting and that department officials determined the threshold for intervention had not been met.

She said the governance context she outlined in an email on January 21 – which was referenced in the cease and desist letter – was not addressed during the February 9 meeting.

Legal troubles

The town is facing multiple lawsuits from former senior administrative officer Catherine Mallon, Yellowknife-based accounting firm EPR and its president, Biswanath Chakrabarty.

An undated update on the town’s website states that despite engaging in mediation, the town and Mallon were unable to negotiate a settlement. The town said it “remains committed to responsible and fervent defence” against Mallon’s claims that she is still owed payment from her time working for the town, and that the town’s since-abandoned lawsuit against her caused her harm.

The town added it remains confident it was justified in making a complaint against EPR and Chakrabarty to Chartered Professional Accountants NWT/Nunavut, related to a review of the town’s finances.

Hodgson said she previously served as a town councillor from 2015 to 2017 before being re-elected in 2024. She said she has “first-hand knowledge of the governance events underlying the town’s ongoing litigation matters” and her position differs from the majority of council regarding interpretation of those events and the litigation strategy that followed.

“Disagreement on litigation strategy does not constitute misconduct. It reflects differing assessments of governance risk and legal exposure,” she wrote.

Hodgson said during a council meeting in July 2025 she told her fellow councillors that she felt marginalized, was experiencing bullying, did not feel her contributions and ideas were aligned with council and was considering resigning. She said she was advised that she was a valued member of council and so continued in her role hoping things would improve.

“Since then, however, the challenges within council have persisted,” she wrote. “In my experience, the level of dysfunction has remained significant, and I have found it increasingly difficult to carry out my responsibilities effectively within the current environment.”

Hodgson said after the resolution was passed calling for her resignation last Tuesday, she received an email the following evening setting a deadline of Sunday, February 15 for her to comply.

She said there is no recorded council resolution establishing that deadline, which “raises questions regarding process, authorization, and the basis upon which such deadlines are imposed.”

An agenda item on a council meeting planned for Tuesday evening is titled “sanctions.”