Niagara Region clerk, deputy clerk resign
The loss of two top Niagara Region employees is raising some eyebrows, but the regional chairman says it is business as usual when it comes to senior management.
Clerk Laura Bubanko and deputy clerk Natasha Devos both resigned their positions “to pursue other opportunities,” said a memo sent out politicians and staff obtained by The Standard.
The last day on the job for each is Friday, Oct. 6.
The Standard caught up with Bubanko at the end of Wednesday’s corporate service committee meeting. Asked why she was leaving and where she was going, Bubanko smiled and said, “I have no comment.”
Devos will assume a senior position with Niagara Parks Commission, the memo said.
Regional Chairman Alan Caslin said there isn’t any cause for concern.
“You have 5,500 employees at the Region,” he said. “There will always be turnover from people seeking opportunities for professional growth. I support that.
“We have a strong team in place here. This isn’t like the last term of council when there was essentially a purging of employees, and a large number of employees left at the same time.”
Bubanko was previously clerk in Fort Erie and deputy clerk in Welland. She replaced Ralph Walton, who left the Region in March to take the same position with Durham Region.
Devos has been at the Region since 2011 and filled in as acting clerk on more than one occasion when the position was vacant.
The office of the clerk is a vital part of the administration and often referred to as the central clearinghouse for information at regional headquarters.
The office helps implement policies and practices established by regional council. It is responsible for preparing the agenda for council meetings and the minutes that arise from them. During meetings, the clerk sits at the right hand of the regional chairman and interprets the Municipal Act for council to settle disputes.
The clerk is also often a key point of contact for residents when dealing with their regional government.
The memo said that over the past three months, regional staff had conducted an organizational review of the clerk’s department.
The goal is “to improve customer service to both our internal and external customers.” It goes on to say the results will be shared with the organization in the coming weeks.
“We said at the beginning of this term, we were going to do business differently,” Caslin said. “Some changes in process and some changes in structure need to take place. I know the changes will be positive in the end.
“We strive to obtain and retain the best people we can in their respective fields. Hopefully, the restructuring will get better results for the taxpayer at the end of the day.”