The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) and the Manitoba Municipal Administrators (MMA) wish to express concern over a recent decision by a Manitoba municipality to shift oversight of public works staff from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) directly to Council.
While The Municipal Act states that the CAO is responsible for the management and supervision of the employees of the municipality, unless Council decides otherwise, the decision to have public works staff report directly to Council is contrary to best practices in municipal governance in Canada. It is our shared position that the CAO should remain the sole employee accountable to Council, with all other municipal staff reporting through the CAO.
Having members of Council directly oversee municipal staff, particularly outside of formal Council meetings, can create confusion, undermine administrative effectiveness, and blur the critical line between governance and operations. It also increases the risk of conflicting direction, diminishes accountability, and can erode staff morale and trust. Moreover, individual councillors have no legal authority to direct staff, and all decisions must be made collectively by Council in a duly convened meeting.
Professional administration ensures operations are managed by qualified staff who understand the legislative requirements, particularly around human resources and workplace health and safety. When Council assumes these responsibilities without proper training or expertise, it increases the municipality’s legal exposure.
While not unlawful, the delegation of operational oversight to Council is not in the best interest of good governance. We strongly encourage all Manitoba municipalities to maintain a clear distinction between the policy-making role of Council and the administrative role of the CAO. Upholding this structure fosters professionalism, stability, and efficiency in municipal operations, and supports the long-term health of our local governments.