County manager out

Municipality looking to replace top bureaucrat for the second time in four years

The County of Prince Edward has parted ways with its Chief Administrative Officer, James Hepburn. Hepburn was in the job just four years, after elevating to the position when the municipality fired Merlin Dewing in 2015.

Mayor Steve Ferguson would not elaborate on the circumstances that led to Hepburn’s departure, saying that “personnel matters are between the parties involved, and I won’t violate confidences.”

Hepburn made a remarkable impact on his arrival to Shire Hall in 2009, working with others to transform the County’s finances and in particular its financial reporting. He, along with Susan Turnbull, Amanda Carter and Wanda Thissen, turned the dangerously opaque department into a comprehensible and smooth functioning finance team.

Those successes were harder to replicate as the County’s top manager. Hepburn seemed, at times, uneasy in the role and ill-suited to the demands of imposing rigour upon an unwieldy municipal organization and its governing council.

“His role as treasurer mostly outdates me,” said Mayor Ferguson, who was a newly elected council member in 2015 when Hepburn was appointed CAO. “But his contributions to the municipality cannot be understated, especially in the financial role.”

So now a search for his replacement begins.

In the meantime, Ferguson says council will appoint an interim CAO, but he will recommend that whoever is takes this role will not be a candidate for the full-time position.

“It’s fair and transparent,” said Ferguson. “It will be an open competition. If the right person is right under our noses—then this will be fantastic.”

Yet he stressed the search will be thorough.

“We are going to find the most capable person.”