MATHESON - Black River-Matheson has announced two of its top staffers are no longer employed by the township.
Following a closed council meeting today (Oct. 28), Mayor Dave Dyment told TimminsToday that CAO Chris Wray and clerk-treasurer Cassandra Child’s last day with the township was Oct. 24.
After the part of the meeting closed to the public, council directed staff to post job openings for a permanent town manager/clerk, a treasurer, and a director of public services.
The municipality also plans to hire an interim treasurer.
The details surrounding Wray and Child’s departures are confidential as part of the contract settlement, said Dyment.
Wray and Child had not attended council meetings since the new council was sworn in on Aug. 27. Since Sept. 10, chief building official James Lefebvre has been acting as the interim clerk-treasurer.
SEE: 'We will not hesitate to step in again': New Matheson council sworn in
Their departures follow that of another key staffer, James Mousseau, who served as the director of infrastructure services until he left the organization in July. Dyment said Mousseau was the town’s former director of public services.
SEE: Infrastructure services director exits Black River-Matheson township
At council’s Oct. 22 meeting, Dyment requested to attend the annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference in January on his own.
“Generally you send either one or two delegates which are the mayor and the CAO, but this year I’m proposing that we just send the mayor,” Dyment said at the Oct. 22 meeting.
Council approved the mayor’s request.
Though Dyment couldn’t share the specifics of Wray and Child’s departure, he expressed optimism about the future of the township, highlighting the importance of bringing in new staff.
“It's good news, and people can read through it,” he said.
“We have a strong council, and we’re doing what we said we would do. We had good, vibrant discussions, and we’re going to get strong staff. I think we’re going to be booming soon.”
