the OMAA Observer

28 March 2024

 

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Provincial News

Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy released the 2024 Budget: Building a Better Ontario on Tuesday.

There has been a massive change in projections and the government is now projecting deficits of $3.0 billion in 2023–24, $9.8 billion in 2024–25, and $4.6 billion in 2025–26, before reaching a surplus of $0.5 billion in 2026–27.

Highlights of the Province’s actions include:

  • Projected GDP growth of just 0.3% next year. $439 billion Net Debt ($27,405 per capita), higher than anticipated borrowing at $41.8 billion. At $462.9 billion, Ontario's debt is now the largest debt of any subnational jurisdiction in the world.
  • Investing $1 billion in the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and quadrupling the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to a total of $825 million to help municipalities repair and expand the critical infrastructure needed to reach their housing targets.
  • Launching a new $200 million Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund to invest in new and upgraded sport, recreation and community facilities.
  • Supporting individuals facing unstable housing conditions and dealing with mental health and addictions challenges by investing an additional $152 million over three years towards various supportive housing initiatives.
  • Increasing housing supply and addressing housing affordability by extending authority to all single- and upper-tier municipalities to impose a municipal tax on vacant homes. A new policy framework will also set out best practices for implementing a Vacant Home Tax and encourage municipalities to set a higher Vacant Home Tax rate for foreign-owned vacant homes.

  • Municipalities will be allowed to charge up to 35 per cent lower property tax rates on new purpose-built rental units.
 

Long Service Recognition Awards

Long service recognition awards are presented annually to members in honour of their years of service in the role of CAO or equivalent head administrator title. The milestone years recognized are 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service. Service doesn't have to be continuous, nor does it have to be all in one municipality.

 

Members self-nominate and are recognized at one of the annual banquets during their anniversary year. Click the button below to fill out the brief form if you are eligible this year.  


 Deadline for submissions is 17 April 2024. 

LSRA Form

Aspiring CAO Connections

Only two spots remain for April 19's Aspiring CAO Session.

 

This afternoon event features three sessions:

 

Pathways to Becoming a CAO: lessons learned from experienced CAOs on how to build your skillset, build your story, and position oneself. Laurie Kennard, OMAA First Vice President and CAO of Severn Township, and Rob Adams, CAO of Erin and Town Hall Consulting CEO.

 

Things Councils look for in a CAO and Interview Prep . Kartik Kumar, National Practice Leader Municipal Government, Legacy Executive Search Partners, and Tony Haddad, Senior Advisor, StrategyCorp and former CAO.

 

Positioning to Move Forward: building your brand on LinkedIn and best practice CAO contract. OMAA President Peter Neufeld and OMAA Executive Director Scott Vokey.

 

Location:  Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre 551 Windermere Road, London, ON N5X2T1 

Cost:  Members $0  Non-members $99.

Register

 

Job Board

Chief Administrative Officer

Township of Muskoka Lakes (Port Carling)

Located in Ontario’s cottage country, the Township of Muskoka Lakes is anchored by the larger communities of Bala, Port Carling, and Windermere and is set in one of the most beautiful natural settings in Canada. The municipality is the permanent home of approximately 7,652 permanent residents and grows to 27,000 seasonally between May and October. In addition the Township also sees tens of thousands of additional visitors each year, from all around the world.

Muskoka Lakes is known to many as an iconic cottaging, recreation and tourism destination that offers the sophistication of a popular tourism destination plus the wholesomeness of country living. With an abundance of natural beauty, the Township’s small communities, waterfront and rural areas provide an attractive lifestyle to its residents.
Muskoka Lakes’ vision is to be a community “Where generations live and gather in a breathtaking natural environment, enjoying recreation, history, and small-town character. These will be protected and enhanced for future generations, while encouraging thriving communities”. Their mission is to be “Excellent stewards of the environment, set clear and respectful expectations of each other, and work together to achieve our shared vision”. In support of the mission and vision four strategic goals have been created that include: preserving and protecting the natural and cultural environment, strengthening and diversifying Muskoka Lakes’ economy, enhancing and sustaining public services and infrastructure and strengthening key relationships.

As the ideal candidate and our new CAO, you are an inspiring, community focused leader with a track record of business leadership and acumen in progressive environments while achieving goals.  In addition, you are known for your exceptional communications skills, your collaborative nature and commitment to building highly effective staff teams, while ensuring service excellence, fiscal accountability and responsible growth.

The salary range for the position is $170,400 up to $200,600 (based on skills and experience) and includes fully-paid group benefits and participation in the OMERS pension.

Deadline: April 12, 2024

More Info

Chief Administrative Officer

Village of Merrickville-Wolford

The Village of Merrickville-Wolford is looking for a new Chief Administrative Officer to provide the municipality with strong leadership and to work with Council to plan for their future.  The Village is seeking a forward looking experienced local government professional with a commitment to proactive communication, innovation, and best practices in leadership and management to serve as their next CAO.
 
The Village of Merrickville-Wolford, comprised of Merrickville and the former Township of Wolford, is less than an hour’s drive from Ottawa. Merrickville, having officially been dubbed Canada’s Most Beautiful Village by Communities in Bloom, and with more designated heritage buildings than any other Ontario community of like-size, is a unique and vibrant Victorian village on The Rideau Canal.  The rural Township of Wolford, provides an array of activities and services for visitors, businesses and locals alike. Both communities love to celebrate their history and culture and heartily invites everyone to join in, to enjoy its heritage, natural attractions, delightful restaurants and shops, its small-town hospitality, and its year-round enchantment. 
 
Appointed by and reporting directly to the Mayor and Council, the CAO is responsible for the overall strategic planning, leadership and coordination and continuous development of the municipality and its Human Resources to meet the municipality’s strategic objectives and plans as set out in the enacted by-laws, resolutions, policies and formal direction of Council. Your background likely includes the following: Undergraduate degree in Business/Commerce, Public Administration, Public Policy, Engineering, or a related field. Being an experienced senior Public Sector leader, having managed a wide range of public services within a culture characterized by high standards of transparency and ethics. Demonstrated experience in financial and human resources management, municipal operations, economic development, and governance. Having worked collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and providing accountability throughout the organization. Strategic and creative thinker who can guide and inspire staff by fostering a positive, vision-driven environment across all departments and building a culture where staff can be creative to find new solutions and are valued and supported. Understanding of risk management and compliance within a legislative environment. The senior management position offers a salary, commensurate with experience and education (2024 salary range is $136,000 to $155,000), plus a competitive benefit package.
 
Deadline: April 19, 2024

More Info

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) 

Township of Douro-Dummer

The Township of Douro-Dummer is in the center of Peterborough County, directly east of the City of Peterborough, along the Trent-Severn Waterway. This rural Township borders four beautiful lakes (Clear, Katchewanooka, Stoney and White Lake) and has several hamlets, rolling drumlins, and acres of viable farmland. Douro-Dummer’s geography offers a vast array of activities for residents and visitors, and it truly has many magnificent places to discover. With a population of 7,000, Douro-Dummer is active in developing its business and industrial opportunities, leveraging its industrial park and proximity to Peterborough. On any given day you can expect to see families, cottage goers, outdoor enthusiasts, retirees, commuters, established business owners, and many smiling faces. Douro-Dummer residents all have one thing in common – they respect the rich history and natural beauty of the area they call home. More information is available at www.dourodummer.on.ca
 
Reporting to Council, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is responsible for overseeing all functions of the Township including directing staff, managing operations, and ensuring that all work is completed within the Council-approved budget. This role provides strategic expertise on all Township policies, procedures, and programs. This role manages all Human Resources and Economic Development functions for the Township.
 
Township Management: Provides efficient administration and operation of the Township and all other departments. Develops, coordinates, implements, administers, and monitors policies and programs established by Council. Provides recommendations and assists the Council in establishing effective programs, objectives, and schedules, ensuring that they conform to various Provincial and Federal legislation. Provides advice and assistance to Council and staff regarding issues as they may affect municipal operations. Ensures that budget guidelines approved by the Council are followed and maintained. Maintains awareness of administrative developments within the Township and other levels of government legislation and Municipal trends.  

More Info

Chief Administrative Officer

West Lincoln (Smithville, ON)

The Township of West Lincoln is a picturesque and progressive municipality, located at the westerly end of the Niagara Peninsula within the Regional Municipality of Niagara. Our largest urban area, Smithville, is located halfway between the City of Hamilton and the City of St. Catharines. With a population of approximately 16,000, and a land area 387.02 sq.kms, West Lincoln is proud to have the largest geographical area in the Niagara Region! The Township of West Lincoln is a mix of a rural and urban setting in a unique local economy that blends residential, industrial, commercial and agricultural properties. Known as a thriving community that offers an excellent way of life, facilitates opportunities, and has a strong sense of community, the Township prides itself in providing responsive and friendly customer experiences.

The Township of West Lincoln is excited to accept applications from experienced leadership professionals as our Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). If you are an inspirational individual that demonstrates executive leadership strengths, has a proven track record of results and a strong sense of political acuity, we would love to hear from you. Our CAO will have exceptional communication skills and dynamic visionary leadership strengths with strong strategic and long-term planning. You will ensure effective municipal operations in a fiscally accountable fashion and guide our organization into our bright future.
 
The CAO will approach this strategic role as a facilitator, a champion of change, a collaborator and a partnership builder. This position will act as an ambassador within the local, regional and broader community, representing the Township with other municipalities, external agencies and other levels of government. The CAO will have ability to evolve an organization’s culture and operational practices to engage, inspire and build co-operative relationships with all stakeholders. The CAO will implement the vision of the Corporate Strategic Plan to ensure it aligns with the Township's values and goals, while ensuring the effective utilization of resources through the above guiding principles.

This position will be supported primarily in office. The salary for this position, commensurate with experience and education is $164,499.39 - $201,748.33 (2024 salary range), plus a comprehensive benefits package. 

 

Deadline: April 12, 2024 

More Info

Chief Administrative Officer

Burlington

Conservation Halton was established more than 60 years ago to protect our communities from flooding and erosion and manage and restore natural resources of the watershed. We have grown to become so much more. Today, it is our responsibility to prepare our communities for the impacts of climate change, support our partners in creating more sustainable communities, manage our natural areas and resources within the watershed, monitor and enhance the environmental health of our watershed and create opportunities to connect with nature through recreation and education.
 
Four years ago, Conservation Halton started a process of transformation through our strategic plan, Metamorphosis. That strategic plan was an important first step for us to better understand the needs of our community and lay the groundwork for what needed to be done. Metamorphosis has now reached its end, but it is more important than ever for us to plan for the future. Our new strategic plan, Momentum, positions us to use the improvements and achievements we have made to carry us into the future for a more green, resilient, connected tomorrow. We are looking to build our team with the kind of inspired, ambitious, and strategic people that are not satisfied with the status quo, are excited by the opportunity in every challenge and are driven by meaningful, measurable results. If you are looking to join an environmentally-focused and socially-conscious community organization, then we are looking for you!
 

The Chief Administrative Officer will have full accountability and responsibility for all operations, leadership, stakeholder management, fiscal effectiveness, risk mitigation and enterprise-wide visioning and planning for Conservation Halton. Reporting to the Chair of the Conservation Halton Board, the CAO will lead full-scale strategic planning including establishing key performance metrics with a process improvement and innovation lens.  This role will be responsible for all key Conservation Authority obligations including managing critical flood water infrastructure, approving development permits under the Conservation Authorities Act, carrying out environmental restoration and forest management, delivering educational and recreational programming to 1.5+ million visitors to 8 parks.  This role also leads all business transformation and innovation initiatives through strategic leadership with a focus on delivering results and inspiring an engaged workforce.
 
The CAO will lead external stakeholder management for key relationships at multiple levels of government as well as major land developers, donors, and corporate sponsors. Providing leadership, coaching, and mentoring to the executive and senior leadership teams, this role is accountable for enabling CH’s leaders to act while inspiring a shared vision with an open, respectful, and cohesive approach. 

Deadline: March 29, 2024

More Info

Members in the News

Brian Finner named the new CAO and Joel Cyr the new Deputy CAO of Iroquois Falls

 

Burlington CAO Hassaan Basit reflects on the relationship between conservation authorities and the province and why Ontario needs the authorities to truly make it a place to grow.

 

Mahesh Ramdeo named Deputy CAO of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury.

 

Chatham-Kent CAO Michael Duben recommended changes to the physical Council space to protect the safety of staff and the safety of visitors 

 

Scheme to force Matheson byelection 'just not going to happen' predicts CAO Chris Wray

 

Bob Foulds passed away peacefully on 21 March at the Village at University Gates long-term care home. Bob spent 34 years working in municipal government in the Counties of Brant, Kent, and Frontenac--and was actively involved in OMAA. Online condolences and donations. 

Skipperisms

Life can sure be fickle sometimes. Good intentions don't always lead to good outcomes, people who claim to be your friends will turn their backs on you when it's convenient, and great achievements often go unrecognized. 

 

Seneca knew a thing or two about life's sucker punches. The unexpected, he said, hits hardest. So, brace yourselves, friends, for the blows will come, whether we're ready or not.

 

We'll stumble, we'll fall, and we'll break. But you know what? Maybe that's the whole point. Maybe, just maybe, we need those obstacles to show us what we're made of.

 

Time is the currency we spend without ever knowing how much we have left. We've got to learn to invest it wisely, to embrace loss as part of the game, and to dance between the realms of freedom and discipline like the masters we are.

 

But perhaps most importantly, we've got to find the humor in it all. So let's laugh, let's find joy in the chaos, and let's remember that the real battle is fought not out there, but in the recesses of our own minds. That's where the noble struggle begins.

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