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1. PURPOSE STATEMENT
The purpose of this policy is to define the Chief Administrative Officer's "CAO" roles,
responsibilities, and work conditions as well as the relationship between Council and the CAO;
the CAO and other employees of the municipality; and Council with other employees of the
municipality, pursuant to section 81 of the Local Governance Act, SNB 2017, c18.
2. DEFINITIONS
"Act" means the Local Governance Act, SNB 2017, c 18.
"Chief Administrative Officer" means the head of the municipal administration. The individual
is the only employee who reports directly to Council.
"Council" means Mayor and Councillors of the Village of Salisbury.
"Employee" means any other person employed by the Village of Salisbury aside from the CAO.
3. POLICY
Responsibilities of the CAO:
- The CAO is responsible for implementing Council's guidelines and decisions in
compliance with the by-laws, regulations, laws, policies, and resolutions adopted by
Council or by other legislative authorities.
- The CAO oversees the implementation and delivery of programs and services that are
approved by Council and ensures that these programs and services are delivered to all
residents and ratepayers in a manner that makes efficient and effective use of the human,
POLICY
Department:
Chief Administrative Officer
(CAO)
COUNCIL AND CHIEF
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
(CAO) POLICY
Effective Date: August 22, 2022
Last Reviewed Date: January 9, 2023
financial, and physical resources of the municipality. The CAO is not, however,
responsible for directly delivering the services of Department Heads.
- In collaboration with Council, the CAO develops the municipality's strategic plan and
measurable outcomes. The CAO is also responsible for assigning resources to strategic
priorities accordingly, determining annual operational plans, annual departmental and
staff-specific goals and objectives.
- Oversees key aspects of human resource management including recruitment and hiring,
training and development, employee engagement, performance management,
compensation (within budgets approved by Council), promotion and termination.
- The CAO is responsible for assessing staffing needs and recommending organizational
structure changes to Council. In the event of a major organizational change, the CAO
shall consult with Council prior to proceeding.
- Ensures effective and meaningful communication and customer service to the public,
department heads and staff, as well as external organizations, Provincial and Federal
Governments and Council on matters relating to the governance, management and
administration of the municipality.
- Prepares written reports and/or makes verbal presentations to various audiences,
including Council, Committees and administration.
- Will foster relationships with other municipalities to address common issues.
- Will work with local agencies, boards and commissions to improve relationships, and
protect and promote the interests of the municipality.
- The CAO shall supervise the performance of all contracts and agreements entered into by
the municipality and ensure that all the conditions are fulfilled.
- Establish Administrative policies and procedures, and in particular, employment
directives and procedures that govern the administrative practices of the municipality.
Financial Duties of the CAO:
- Exercises financial control over all corporate operations to ensure compliance with
Council approved budgets.
- The CAO shall approve payment of all expenditures and invoices of budgeted operations
and any non-budgeted items less than $5000.00.
- Responsible for assessing any funding applications which will require significant human
or financial resources before submission and, unless assigned to another senior manager,
will approve the signing of funding applications submitted by the municipality to ensure
they are actioned.
- Monitor and control expenditures within the budgets approved by Council and ensure
Council is appraised of any requested budgetary amendments.
- Responsible for approving miscellaneous employee expenses, including but not limited to
travel, reimbursements, or overtime.
- Make or authorize expenditures, and, subject to subsection 4(3) of the Act, enter contracts
on behalf of the municipality where the amount of the expenditure is budgeted or within
the amount determined by Council and/or delegate this authority to another employee of
the municipality.
- Ensure that the municipality follows procurement best practices for goods and services in
additional to relevant legislation and policies.
Relationship between Council and the CAO:
- The CAO is the principal advisor to Council and is responsible for ensuring that Council
is informed of their legislative responsibilities and authorities, and all other relevant
information necessary to make informed decisions on every municipal matter.
- The CAO is to be evaluated annually by Council on a date either established by Council
or on a mutually agreed upon date which coincides with the date the CAO was hired.
- The CAO reports to Council, through the Mayor and is accountable to Council for the
execution of their priorities and objectives.
- All expenses incurred by the CAO must be pre-approved by the Mayor.
- All expenditures and invoices for non-budgeted items exceeding $5000.00 must be
approved by Council.
Relationship between employees, the CAO, and Council:
- Council shall deal and communicate with Administration through the CAO or his/her
designate with the exception of any inquiry or investigation involving the CAO.
- No member of Council, or committee, or member of a committee established by Council
shall instruct or give direction to, either publically or privately, an employee of the
municipality.
- Council is responsible for determining policy and governance priorities, and through
motions of Council and strategic priorities, provides direction to the CAO to assign
administration resources accordingly.
- The CAO acts as the primary link between Council and employees to ensure that
Administration has appropriate input to Council deliberations, and that Council decisions
and directives are understood by Administration and implemented in a timely and
effective manner. The CAO shall communicate to Council on behalf of employees.
- Except as provided by the Municipalities Act, all Department Heads of the municipality
are accountable to the CAO. The CAO shall carry out annual performance appraisals of
all Department Heads and ensure that annual performance appraisals of all other
employees are carried out by their supervisors. The CAO is responsible for determining
any personnel salary and wage adjustments, on the basis of the performance evaluations,
based on any financial threshold authorized by Council during the budgetary process.
- Department Heads shall submit the reports and recommendations of their Departments
for Council to and through the CAO.
- The CAO is responsible for ensuring that the municipality is a safe and productive work
environment for all employees.
Absence and/or dismissal of the CAO:
- When the CAO is absent, this Policy applies to their designate.
- The CAO shall obtain permission from the Mayor for absences from the municipality in
excess of three (3) days.
- In the case of a prolonged absence or incapacity of the CAO, a member of the senior
management may be appointed by Council to replace the CAO on an interim basis.
- Pursuant to Subsection 71(4) of the Act, the CAO is entitled to hold office until
retirement, death, resignation, or dismissal for cause by the affirmative vote of at least
two thirds of the whole Council.
Evaluation of the CAO:
- The CAO is subject to an annual performance evaluation, to be led by the Mayor, with
consultation from elected officials, staff, and stakeholders as Council may deem
appropriate.
- The annual performance management of the CAO is the determination for any annual
wage increases.