Tuesday, May 14, 2019 ~ SOOKE
by Mary P Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
Another shift in District of Sooke municipal leadership is coming up with the arrival of a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).
Norm McInnis will start as the District of Sooke’s CAO on July 2. The announcement was formally made at last night’s May 13 Regular Council Meeting.
The CAO position is the top staff position, to which all other municipal staff report. The CAO guides Mayor and Council with the proper delivery of policy and interpretation and development of bylaws. The CAO oversees all operations of the municipality, reporting to Mayor and Council.
In the past 10 years or so, the CAO position has been in the news for either clashes with Mayor and Council, CAO missteps, questions about the hiring process, long absences at a cost to the taxpayer, and how the vacant post was filled in various ways by other staff and/or an officially appointed Interim CAO.
The District has been without a CAO since February 2018 after the departure of Teresa Sullivan from that position; the manner of her in-house hiring became a matter of public debate at the end of 2015 and her approval of some costly contract expenditures without the knowledge or approval of Council during 2016 brought rancor in the ranks.
The interim CAO in 2019 has been Don Schaeffer who with a broad background including media and publishing did a lot to steady the ship and get things organized for the new permanent CAO now mid-2019.
It’s been District of Sooke Mayor Maja Tait in office during 2014 to now while all of this has transpired.
Tait said the search for a CAO this year was lengthy and the competition robust. In welcoming McInnis to the team, she said: “We also wish to recognize and thank Grant Smith of Waterhouse Executive Search for his focused efforts in sourcing out excellent candidates for Council’s consideration”.
“Norm’s experience, communication skills and commitment to service excellence was fully demonstrated in his role as CAO with the District of Fernie, BC. He will be a great addition to Sooke as his background aligns with the strategic direction of Council and the vision we share for our community,” Tait said in a news release.
McInnis will be appointed at a Regular Meeting of Council before he begins work with the District on July 2, 2019.