Hands are gathering to call on the province to address the ongoing woes at Medicine Hat City Hall.

Medicine Hat's mayor and city council continue to clash, so some residents are asking the province to step in.

Organizers are collecting signatures for a letter to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs asking for an investigation into the municipal government for “lack of transparency and failure of leadership”.

The ministry says it is not ready to order an investigation, but “we will consider doing so if the city's voters can meet the statutory requirements for initiating a request for a municipal audit.”

Last month, the Medicine Hat City Council voted to suspend Mayor Lynnsey Clark as chairman, cut her salary and limit her communication with city staff and the city manager to email only.

The sanctions came after discussions with City Manager Ann Mitchell in August.

A third-party report concluded that Clark violated the code of conduct by failing to treat Mitchell with courtesy, dignity and respect.

Clarke said: “I disagree with the council's decision and will seek a judicial review.”

Documents and emails posted by the mayor on social media show that the dispute has been going on for months.

The city manager's lawyers even threatened to sue the mayor for defamation last year.

Clark said a forensic examination could begin this summer, but it could take several months.

And the petition must be signed by voters equal to 20 percent of the city's population.

Medicine Hat currently has a population of about 70,000.

With files from Damien Wood and Jordan Kanygin