George Dalton
Guest Opinion
It sounds so simple: hire someone — man or woman — who has proven qualifications and a high standard of performance in a similar position.
It is critical that the new candidate have high moral standards, as well as superior leadership skills. A city CAO (chief administrative officer) is often responsible for human resources as well as their own subordinates.
In choosing a CAO for the City of Summerside, its citizens expect the utmost due diligence and transparency in the process to select a person with trust and has compassion in dealing with employees, residents and coworkers – all factors in creating a healthy community. The big problem, which still exists on the Island (and elsewhere), is “the old boy’s syndrome.” This is where the hiring process is carried out, but the successful candidate has already been “prechosen.”
It is to be hoped that, on this occasion, the search for a new CAO will be carried out by a professional company, experienced in finding candidates for senior positions in local government. This should result in a candidate who can be trusted and, at the same time, show the city is being a fair and equal employer
I say this based on my own experiences in the military, working in the human resources sector.
The mistreatment of employees all over the Island (and beyond) is a sad and known factor. The abuse of employees — verbal, physical and in bullying tactics — ends up with them needing counselling, which is, in turn, a drain on the Island’s thinly stretched health services. In my experience in the Canadian Forces medical system, I found compassion is the opposite of abuse — in all its forms. I have seen first-hand where abuse impacts families, and I have seen it in Summerside.
City council members, and they alone, must make the final decision, as a CAO carries out the duties of the policy of council and is responsible to the council when citizens’ concerns are presented to our elected officials.
Residents must be able to voice their concerns with a sense they are not being discounted.
We must avoid conflicts of interest and that “old boys’ syndrome.”
If this new CAO appointment is from within city hall, the person needs to be closely vetted to ensure there are no “skeletons in closets” from previous supervisory positions in the city.
Such vetting will avoid potential accusations of conflict of interest, as has happened in some previous CAO appointments.
All candidates need to have physiological testing. So many citizens have been harmed in this world, by exposure to leaders who are diagnosed with the traits of a psychopath or extreme narcissistic personalities.
The selection of a CAO needs to be done right, or the impact on the city will be disastrous. The city has had a female mayor, wouldn’t it be a wonderful sign of the times to hire a female CAO?
We have many gifts in this community and we should all benefit from hiring a CAO, who puts people first in this caring city.
George Dalton is a resident of Summerside, P.E.I.
