Village of Donnelly is still seeking a long-term chief administrative officer but has extended an agreement with Town of McLennan to share their CAO until the end of March.
“We are continuing our shared CAO for an additional three months,” says Donnelly Mayor Myrna Lanctot.
“Extending the contract ensures that Village of Donnelly continues to receive consistent and reliable CAO services through the shared arrangement,” she adds.
Donnelly had hired a CAO in April to replace its departing administrator, but after a short tenure the replacement CAO and her family chose to move out of the area. This forced the Village of Donnelly council to once again search for a new administrator. Unfortunately, the replacement CAO departed about the same time as municipal elections, so Donnelly chose to stall the search until after election.
Oct. 14, Donnelly council decided to appoint Lorraine Willier (also Town of McLennan’s CAO) as the Village’s interim CAO. Lanctot says the temporary appointment has ensured continuity in operations during the election period and provided flexibility for the incoming council to establish a process for hiring a permanent CAO.
“This provides stability in leadership and administration while supporting ongoing operations without interruption,” says Lanctot.
“We plan to maintain this arrangement until a suitable candidate is found to permanently fill the CAO position. . .”
Lanctot adds the Village of Donnelly recognizes the potential benefits of a shared CAO model, particularly for small municipalities.
“Shared leadership can offer advantages such as cost-effective access to professional expertise, shared training opportunities, and improved collaboration across communities,” explains Lanctot.
“While this current arrangement is not a formal shared CAO position, we appreciate the willingness of an experienced CAO . . . to support Donnelly during this interim period. Her flexibility in extending her workday to assist our community demonstrates the kind of regional cooperation that could lead to stronger partnerships in the future. That said, both municipalities remain independent, and this is not a jointly governed or shared position.”
For more information, email email admin@donnelly.ca.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter