Following a two-month search, Westlock County has hired Duane Coleman to lead the municipality.
Following an in-camera session at council’s Feb. 9 meeting, a motion was made to hire Coleman, who will assume the post as county CAO March 7.
At the same time, council agreed to retain current CAO Peter Kelly as a consultant to assist with the transition.
Reeve Bud Massey said Coleman’s 10-plus years experience with Lac La Biche County, along with private-sector experience, made him the prime candidate.
“The fact that he’s had experience as a CAO is a positive. The fact that he has had private-enterprise experience is very positive also. We wanted that combination,” Massey said.
“Our desire was that to make sure our county was efficiently run, productively run, and that’s the type of leadership we went looking for.
“Of the applicants, he was the most impressive.”
Coleman said he’s eager to join Westlock County and to return to municipal government.
“I’ve worked most of my adult life in municipal government, the last four years I’ve worked in the private sector, so I’ve got a good, solid understanding of municipal operations,” Coleman said.
“I think I bring an added benefit that I bring some private-sector experience, and looking at municipal operations from a citizen, or a customer side.”
Aside from the work, Coleman knows the area and wants to return.
“I’m familiar with the area, I like the area, I think it’s a nice place to continue raising my family,” he said.
Massey said Coleman’s experience of having been through an amalgamation process when Lakeland County and the Town of Lac La Biche joined in 2007 to form Lac La Biche County, was a positive.
“He was there during the amalgamation of the county and the town, which we saw as positive because we have agreed to go through a collaboration study, which is a step towards amalgamation with the town and the village,” Massey said.
“We’re excited about having that experience being brought into our organization.”
Coleman will complete a six-month probationary period at an annual salary of $160,000. Upon a successful performance review, Coleman will continue at an annual salary of $175,000.
Following his 11-year run as CAO of Lac La Biche County in 2011, Coleman was paid out over $606,000 in severance; something Massey assured won’t happen in Westlock.
“We have negotiated a minimum payout, the same we negotiated with Mr. Kelly, which is three months, plus one additional month per year of service, up to a maximum of six months,” Massey said.
Coleman described his departure from Lac La Biche County as a mutual split and said the settlement was part of business.
“Any time there’s a relationship between council and a CAO, if things don’t work out you move on and you’re compensated for doing that,” he said.
“I was compensated to leave the organization and it allowed me to stay in the community and continue raising my kids. It’s the reality of being a CAO.”
Throughout March, Kelly will continue to earn his regular salary in exchange for three months of consultation work.
“Peter will be remaining as a consultant, paid as a consultant until the end of March and then he will assist during that transition period for that month, plus two additional months of consolation through phone and whatever is needed,” Massey said.
“That will be the decision of the new CAO to utilize Peter’s expertise and local knowledge as much as he chooses.”
In March, Kelly will travel between Nova Scotia and Westlock at no cost to the municipality. Should he be required to return in April or May, Massey said the county might pay for his travel.
“If Mr. Coleman chooses to have Mr. Kelly come out, then there would have to be a decision about whether or not we would pay for that,” he said.
