County News
Undoing
Correction 4:14 pm: The County’s Director of Finance, James Hepburn is stepping in as acting CAO. Incorrect information appeared in an earlier version of this story.
Council gathered in a special closed session on Friday to officially part ways with its Chief Administrative Officer Merlin Dewing.
James Hepburn, the County’s current Director of Finance, will assume Dewing’s responsibilities, effective immediately, until a successor is found.
Details of the settlement were not released.
In a statement issued by Mayor Robert Quaiff, council and Dewing came to the conclusion that his leadership approach no longer aligns with the vision the current Council has for the County of Prince Edward.
Hired in 2011 with a mandate to examine and restructure the County’s business, Dewing began asking questions and investigating every corner of the organization. When he questioned about why something was done a certain way, Dewing said the most common response he heard was, “ because that’s the way we’ve always done it.”
Dewing undertook the County’s first significant rework since it was amalgamated in 1998. When he was done, 44 jobs had been eliminated and 29 new jobs created. Altogether the changes reduced about $1.1 million from the County’s overhead costs.
But Dewing made many folks unhappy both inside and out, especially as the list of disgruntled ex-employees grew longer. They complained about his salary, his vacation time and a piano in his office—salvaged before it went to the landfill.
Many of these complaints found a receptive audience with some members of council. Dewing didn’t making many friends there either. With the corporate realignment complete, Dewing set about restructuring the relationship between council and staff—drawing a clear line between governance (council’s role) and administration (staffs’ job).
But some councillors didn’t want to let go. They had become accustomed to calling County staff directly to get a ditch cleared or brush cut. Increasingly the CAO ushered them toward the job of governance and away from the day-to-day business of managing staff.
Several councillors ran in the last municipal election vowing to take council back—promising to remove management authority from the CAO and staff and returning it to council members. Going back to the way things used to be.
Later today, Council will consider taking the first step when they approve the deal arranged by Mayor Robert Quaiff to part ways with Dewing.
Dewing had more than a year left on his contract. Mayor Quaiff confirmed that council was meeting behind closed doors this afternoon regarding a personnel matter, but offered no other information, citing the confidential nature of the meeting and issue.
Council’s decision to dump Dewing was precipitated by a recent accident which injured a member of County’s road crew staff. Two roads supervisors were sacked as a result.
Councillor Kevin Gale responded angrily to the terminations, prompting him to send out an email to all County employees asking, “Who’s next?”.
Gale and others insisted that Dewing rehire one of the workers, according to well-placed sources. Dewing is said to have refused that demand.
Earlier this week Mayor Quaiff and Merlin Dewing met to negotiate the terms of the CAO’s exit.
Perhaps the truth will now come to light for those that believed the written word and the community gossip about the real reason the two chief administrative staff at HJ McFarland Home, Lori Kimmett and Beth Piper, were terminated. A bullcrap investigation that was fabricated to have them quickly terminated to make room for the company that was already waiting in the wings to take over at the direction of Dewing. Next were two physio staff that also were escorted out and terminated with no forewarning. SHAME on Dewing and the County for such damage to these ladie’s reputations and for those of you in the community that were so quick to codemn them for this fabricated wrong doing!
Good riddance. Stop hiring foreigners. Stop paying thousands to fire somebody.
Just out of curiosity – and no offence meant – but what do you mean by “Stop hiring foreigners”?
What in your eyes’ constitutes a “foreigner”?
If that means anyone who was not born in the county – that bodes ill for our collective futures since the catalyst for change most often comes externally. Granted not all change is good but stagnation isn’t much better. Goodness knows we could use a little bit of change otherwise we risk a slow death of what we all collective value.
If that means anyone who was not born in Canada – all I can say is “ugh”.
If we had Provincial MPPs or Federal MPs directly managing and potentially interfering with civil servants there would be hell to pay. How can our councilors feel their job is direct staff supervision and not governing – the job they were elected to do.
“But some councilors didn’t want to let go. They had become accustomed to calling County staff directly to get a ditch cleared or brush cut. Increasingly the CAO ushered them toward the job of governance and away from the day-to-day business of managing staff.”
Lastly, hiring someone to improve an outcome in the face of “because that’s the way we’ve always done it” is bound to create friction.
Sounds like his greatest sin was not having a “light touch”…..