Questions are being asked about a new position with the municipality.
A notice of motion by Ward 6 Councillor Alysson Storey at last night’s council meeting asked for transparency on the recent posting for a new Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO).
The position was posted on the Municipality of Chatham-Kent careers page on January 8th with applications being accepted until January 31st.
The role would report to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Michael Duben, who has been in the CAO role since 2022. This new position is seen as a way to train someone to replace Duben, in the event the need arises.
“The way it’s been explained to us so far is that this is an important succession planning tool,” said Storey. “The CAO role is a really important job, and if and when he [Duben] retires or moves on to another opportunity…we need to make sure we are prepared and have someone who has a reasonable set of qualifications.”
Storey told CKXS News that while she supports the position, she feels that residents should be aware of concerns surrounding the job posting, including where funding for the role is coming from, why it is needed, and what the role entails in writing.
“It’s making sure everyone is on the same page….The job posting was a bit of a surprise,” said Storey.
Storey explained that while the position was initially discussed in a closed council session, as she said most Human Resource matters are, the Ward 6 Councillor still believes the next step should be to officially introduce the position to council and the public in an open session.
“Since it’s a brand new role for our municipality and organizational structure…and it’s a pretty hefty price tag for the salary, I think it makes sense to have that discussion in open session so the public can provide their deputations if they want to or just listen to the conversation,” said Storey.
The salary range for the role is between $196,476.000 – $240,957.000 annually and was not part of the 2025 budget.
In December, Ward 6 representative Michael Bondy proposed a motion for council approval on new non-union municipal hires over $100,000. That proposal failed in a 3-13 vote.
Storey would also like to know if this DCAO position is a role that is commonplace in other municipalities and how they are incorporating that into decision-making.
“If there are already constructive examples that we can use to make sure that this type of role is successful in Chatham-Kent I would be very happy to know about it,” said Storey.
