The severance for former Westlock County CAO Edward LeBlanc has been finalized, reeve Bud Massey said last week, but he has not made the figure available to the public.
Massey confirmed in late July the process had been finalized, but said he did not want to make the number public without reconfirming LeBlanc’s consent because of concerns about privacy issues.
“I found out about it yesterday, and what I have is a letter to our lawyer to make sure we’re able to release the details,” he said at that time. “I’ve got a phone call in to Edward LeBlanc to confirm he’s still in agreement.”
Massey said early last week he had not been able to reach LeBlanc, but would continue trying.
“I understand there was a letter saying things would be confidential so I want his permission to release the details,” he said.
“That’s what the lawyers did, but I’d talked to Ed before and he agreed the public has a right to know.”
Massey said last Friday he had still been unable to secure LeBlanc’s permission to release the information. Despite council’s request the agreement be written in such a way as to include public disclosure, he said, it was not.
That said, the money has already changed hands.
“To my knowledge the cheque has already been issued and we’re working on an agreement to release the details,” he said.
The Westlock News reached LeBlanc last week at the Thorhild County office, where he’s now working as that municipality’s Community Economic Development Officer. He declined to comment and referred inquiries to Massey.
LeBlanc’s tenure as county CAO came to an end this spring, in what was described as a “mutual” decision between him and council.
While it’s not standard practice to pay severance unless a person has been fired, Massey said the decision to negotiate a severance came in light of LeBlanc’s 29 years spent working for the county — and the amount decided upon is less than what was included in the employment contract.
“If he had quit, he would not be entitled to it. If we had fired him, he would have been entitled to much more,” Massey said. “It was a compromise, acceptance and recognition of the long-term service he had given to Westlock County.”
The job posting for the new CAO formally closed Aug. 11.
