Municipal CAOs seek regulation for profession
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
WINNIPEG — The group representing municipal administrators is urging the province to create a regulatory body for the profession, warning of a “critical human resource crunch” as a chunk of the workforce prepares to retire.
About 300 members from the Manitoba Municipal Administrators participated in a recent survey that found one-third of respondents are planning to leave their positions within five years, and nearly 60 per cent within a decade. Of those, 63 per cent indicated there are no succession plans in place for their departure, president Nicole Chychota said.
“We do see this as a very critical issue for administration and municipalities in Manitoba, and if we want to avoid a crisis in the future, we have to start acting now,” Chychota said.
The MMA is asking the province to establish standards and guidelines for chief administrative officers, hoping a formal training process will create a pipeline for qualified professionals to replace the retiring workforce.
The group submitted a proposal to Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard in December, asking him to introduce certifications for both chief administrative officers and people working in lower administrative roles, including finance managers, municipal clerks and assistant CAOs.
Under Manitoba laws, municipal administrators — including those hired as CAOs and tasked with managing budgets, human resources and overseeing day-to-day operations — are not required to have any official qualifications.
Other high-level professionals, such as city planners, lawyers and physicians are represented and regulated by legislated bodies.
Several of Manitoba’s municipal CAOs have recently been accused, investigated or charged in fraud cases involving public funds, underscoring the need for formal oversight, Chychota said.
Manitoba Municipal Administrators has developed an educational and disciplinary framework to oversee the profession. It has asked Simard to amend legislation and enshrine the group as a provincial regulator.
“We firmly believe this is the way that is best to move forward,” she said. “The pieces are there, we just need the legislation to change.”
In January, Simard told the Winnipeg Free Press he was considering the proposal.
A spokesperson from his office reiterated that statement in an email Tuesday.
“We appreciate the thoughtful and detailed proposal that has been brought forward and are taking the necessary time to review it carefully.”
» Winnipeg Free Press