Greater Sudbury's efforts to find a permanent chief administrative officer took turn another turn this week, with word that a preferred candidate declined the city's job offer.
In an internal email obtained by Northernlife.ca, interim CAO Kevin Fowke said the hiring committee was unable to come to an agreement with the candidate.
"Now the committee will move on to consider other recruitment methods and candidates, including the possible retention of an executive search firm in the near future," the email said.
City council has fired the last two people to hold the job – Doug Nadorozny was let go in April 2015 after years of controversy surrounding the Sudbury Transit ticket scandal. He has since been hired as the permanent CAO in Aurora.
Mayor Brian Bigger picked Greater Sudbury Airport CEO Bob Johnston to replace Nadorozny until a permanent replacement was found. But Johnston was suddenly let go in September, and later went public with concerns about what was going on at city hall, calling it the most toxic and dysfunctional workplace environment he had ever worked in.
HR Director Fowke replaced Johnston as the hiring committee continued the search. Since Bigger was elected in October 2014, a stream of city managers have either quit or left suddenly, including general managers.
They include: Lorella Hayes, the city's highly respected budget chief, who took a job last fall at Greater Sudbury Utilities. Catherine Matheson, the city's general manager of community development, who left early in 2015 for a job at the Northeast LHIN; and, Tim Beadman, general manager of social and emergency services, who left suddenly last month.
The turnover has come at a crucial time at Tom Davies Square, as the city grapples with soaring unemployment and must make several crucial decisions about infrastructure.
They include whether to proceed with the $80 million Maley Drive extension, whether to use debt financing to complete four-laning of MR 35 and resurfacing Lorne Street; and whether to move ahead with any of the big projects pitched late last year, which include arena developments and different proposals for arts and entertainment centres.
