Chatham-Kent’s incoming Chief Administrative Officer is no stranger to the range of challenges facing the municipality, but believes he’s up to the task.
Thomas Kelly will be replacing the retiring Don Shropshire, and says he knows he has some big shoes to fill.
“Don has taught me first of all how to be a good mentor in the first place, and also how to build a good team and how to look for solutions that really are the best professional advice for council, for the Mayor, and also all the residents as well,” Kelly says. “That’s been our job, is to look at situations, to analyze them, to study them, and then come back with our best professional advice.”
There are a number of challenges facing the municipality right now, Kelly says first and foremost is the evacuation and ongoing investigation in Wheatley.
“We still have 65 homes that are evacuated. We have 125 residents out of their homes, 30 of which are children and Christmas is coming too, so that’s our absolute top priority from my team’s perspective,” Kelly says. “After that, we have certainly some social issues that we’ve seen driven by COVID, which is our homelessness, our mental health, and addiction issues.”
Other challenges demanding attention include shoreline erosion, the overall environment, and economic recovery from the pandemic, just to name a few.
However, Kelly remains optimistic about the municipality’s future with a growing population, more residential development, and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit across the community.
While no specific date has been set for the handover, Kelly is expected to take the CAO reins before the end of the year.
Listen to Jay Smith and Robyn Brady’s interview with Thomas Kelly below:
