Lake Country picks town councillor for management post
Mayor says council played no part in hiring
A second person with experience as a Lake Country town councillor has been hired by the municipality as a senior staff member.
Matt Vader beat out 45 other applicants for the newly created position of manager of strategic support services, with a salary range of $84,000 to $95,400.
Vader had been the council representative for the Carr’s Landing community. He has resigned his council seat and a byelection will be held.
The fact Vader was a councillor gave him no particular advantage in the job competition, Lake Country Mayor James Baker said, other than a general familiarity with town operations and concerns.
“If you’re the best person for the job, you’re the best person for the job,” Baker said.
Vader has a bachelor of management degree and a diploma in business administration. A resident of Lake Country since 2008, he previously worked for the Canada Revenue Agency.
Vader ran unsuccessfully for council in 2011, and then won the Carr’s Landing seat by acclamation in 2014.
Town council took no role in hiring for the position, Baker said, leaving the process to senior staff members.
“Council only has a direct say when we hire a CAO or the CFO,” Baker said.
As manager of strategic support services, Vader’s job will be to “provide high-level strategic support to the CAO and executive team in areas of strategic planning, priority or special project management, legal, compliance and business improvement functions,” according to a town news release.
In February 2015, Jamie McEwan beat out about 100 other applicants for the position of community development manager with the municipality.
McEwan, then 29, had been a town councillor from 2011 to 2014. But he decided not to run again in the November election that year because he knew the community development position would soon be advertised by the town.
McEwan’s father, Brian, was the head of Lake Country’s roads division before he retired.
A byelection is being planned for June 24. A byelection is also being planned for that date in the Oyama ward to fill the vacant seat left by the death of Coun. Owen Dickie on March 6.
Advance polls are planned for June 14 and 21. Mail ballots will also be available for residents and property owners away from Lake Country, with details still being sorted out.