Job posting placed for deputy CAO
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A bid to hire a new deputy chief administrative officer for Chatham-Kent isn’t sitting well with at least one elected official.
The job will pay anywhere from $196,000 to $240,000 a year, according to an online job posting that describes the role as an assistant to current CAO Michael Duben, helping with many duties of the top administrator’s position.
However, Chatham Coun. Michael Bondy said the optics around the hire are poor as it comes at a time when the municipality is facing financial strain.
“We were told about this, we weren’t asked,” the veteran councillor told The Voice, noting he’s getting plenty of negative feedback from the public regarding the job posting. “It’s insane. We are not asked for approval…all we do is approve things that are put forward.
“The powers of council are slowly eroding,” said Bondy, who plans on running for mayor in 2026. “Considering the rising cost of everything, this is a terrible look.”
In December, a motion from Bondy asking that all non-union municipal hires paid $100,000 or more annually be approved by council was voted down. His original motion called for a $50,000 annual wage ceiling, but the amount was changed to $100,000 following an amendment from West Kent Coun. Lauren Anderson.
Bondy said that a new mayor would be able to “right the ship” to bring high staffing costs in line, noting he receives many complaints from constituents on the matter.
The CAO position is the only senior manager that council hires directly. Duben came on board in September 2022, and in 2023 was C-K’s highest paid official in the municipal sector. At an annual wage of $319,227 in 2023, he’s one of the highest paid CAOs in Ontario and is solely responsible for managing and hiring the rest of the C-K’s senior team.
When contacted by The Voice, Duben explained the proposed deputy CAO position is part of succession planning and does not bring any new costs to the taxpayer.
There’s money in the budget to cover the role, he said, because the manager of corporate initiatives position has been vacant for a couple of years, saving some $200,000. He said he’s also planning to consolidate some of the jobs of the senior management and won’t replace the next general manager who retires from the executive management team.
Duben said he wants to ensure senior managers are cross-trained in a number of disciplines, noting it’s difficult for anyone seeking a CAO position if they are only trained in one field.
“I think that my responsibility to the taxpayer and to council is that we are always planning for the future,” Duben said. “We want people to be able to step in and take on senior roles when the time comes.”
He added he has no plans to step away from the CAO role for at least four more years.
Duben said the deputy CAO would be heavily involved in lobbying for funding from upper-tier governments to ensure “Chatham-Kent is at the forefront” of funding and grant applications.
Chatham-Kent’s executive management team is currently comprised of Duben; Edward Soldo, general manager of infrastructure and engineering services; Jodi Guilmette, general manager, health and human services; Cathy Hoffman, general manager, of corporate services; Bruce McAllister, general manager of community development; Dave Taylor, director of legal services, Chatham-Kent Fire & Rescue Chief Chris Case; and chief financial officer Gord Quinton.
When other councillors were asked if they approve of hiring a deputy CAO, most were reluctant to speak because the matter had only been discussed in closed session. This despite the fact the position is being advertised online.
Chatham Coun. Alysson Storey agreed in principle that succession planning is important for any organization, especially one the size of Chatham-Kent.
“We all want qualified and capable people in a role like the CAO who is responsible for administering close to a half a billion dollar budget,” Storey explained. “I also think, due to the importance of the role, council needs to be kept in the loop throughout the process. I’d also feel a lot more comfortable with a detailed financial breakdown of the position and whether or not this is a temporary or permanent role. It’s more important than ever to ensure we’re keeping a close eye on any increased costs.”
North Kent Coun. Rhonda Jubenville said she supports the new position, as succession planning is important, as long as it doesn’t bring any new costs to the municipality.
When contacted by The Voice, Mayor Darrin Canniff said he’s deferring questions about the new position to Duben as it’s not council’s responsibility.
The job posting is open until Jan. 31.
There are far too many staff positions in this council, and we think we can afford another one, at a time when our roads are like a third world country. I have lived in my house in Tupperville for almost 18 years, and nothing has been done to John Park Line. It is falling apart. Of course no one on the staff of the municipality ever visits Tupperville, not even our councillors, so how would they know.