Contract extension my idea, CAO tells radio station

Niagara Region’s embattled chief administrative officer says he approached regional chair Alan Caslin about “strengthening” his contract in 2017, resulting in a deal that is now under investigation by the provincial ombudsman.

In an interview with CKTB 610 AM Friday morning, Carmen D’Angelo said it was “appropriate” for him to approach Caslin regarding the changes to his contract because, he claimed, that was who he negotiated his original 2016 deal with.

D’Angelo’s interview with CKTB 610 AM is the first time he has publicly discussed the controversy surrounding his contact extension since Caslin admitted in August that he unilaterally approved the deal in October 2017.

D’Angelo’s original contract is set to expire this month unless regional council enacts an optional two-year extension. The deal approved by Caslin without council’s knowledge extended his deal to 2022. It also guarantees D’Angelo three years termination pay even if he is fired with cause. Caslin told regional council that he believed he was doing the right thing for the municipality. D’Angelo is paid more than $230,000 annually.

Former regional integrity commissioner John Mascarin has said the contract extension should be null and void because the regional chair cannot unilaterally change the contract of the CAO, who is an employee of the entire council not just the chairperson. Ontario’s Ombudsman is investigating both the contract extension and process by which D’Angelo was hired.

A St. Catharines Standard investigation found that D’Angelo downloaded six confidential documents before and during the hiring process. Four of those documents were created by Caslin’s personal staff, and included confidential information about other CAO candidates and interview questions.

For more on this story go online to www.stcatharinesstandard.ca