Didsbury town council fires CAO

The Town of Didsbury has fired its controversial chief administrative officer Roy Brown after 10 years of employment with the town.

After an in-camera session lasting nearly an hour on Nov. 24, council voted “that council terminate the employment of chief administrative officer Roy Brown effective immediately.”

Council, through the town administration, released the minutes of the meeting, but would not make any further comment.

How the mayor and councillors voted individually on the termination was not recorded and only Coun. Garth Hollinger was absent from the meeting.

Brown, hired in July 2005, was fired with cause and without further pay.

Brown went on sick leave June 10 after being hospitalized the day before.

On July 16, during his sick leave, he terminated three Town of Didsbury staff members without giving council a heads-up and said he had been working with town managers “over a number of months to find efficiencies in the organization.”

Council named Greg Skotheim, manager of public works and infrastructure as acting chief administrative officer, and began a search, with the assistance of municipal headhunter Ravenhill Group, for a permanent replacement for Brown who was scheduled to retire when his contract expired in the spring of 2016.

Council also embarked on a review of his conduct and requested that Alberta Municipal Affairs review his conduct too. The department declined.

On Aug. 4, Brown offered in a letter to Mayor Rick Mousseau “to work at reaching an agreement with Council that would allow Council to move forward with hiring a new Chief Administrative Officer.” Council did not respond.

On Aug. 9, council decided to get legal advice.

In early October Brown disclosed his intention to return from sick leave after Thanksgiving, but held off. Talks between him and the town continued.

Last week, council reviewed its options and legal advice and fired Brown.