Alberta municipalities struggling to retain top administrators, report says

A new report shows Alberta municipalities are struggling to retain top administrators – a costly problem that is disproportionately affecting smaller communities.

The peer-reviewed report — commissioned by Alberta Municipalities and the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy and published this month — found the average tenure of a chief administrative officer in Alberta is now less than the length of one council term and has been steadily declining for the past 20 years. 

Chief administrative officers (CAOs) are top civil servants in charge of implementing policies and advising elected councils. They serve as the administrative heads of local governments, with some leading thousands of employees and overseeing billion-dollar operating budgets.

Kate Graham, a professor at Huron University College in London, Ont., and co-author of the report, examined CAO start and end dates from 2003 until 2022, surveyed 179 current CAOs and interviewed recruiters and recently departed CAOs.

A costly trend

She found that small and rural communities are struggling the most to hold on to their top administrators. For example, the median CAO tenure is 60 per cent longer in cities than it is in towns.

Graham presented her research at the Alberta Municipalities conference in Edmonton on Wednesday morning, where elected officials from across the province asked her for advice on attracting and retaining CAOs.

"CAO transitions are costly for municipalities in many ways: the financial cost of departures, recruitment processes and onboarding of new hires; the disruption in the organization; and energy taken away from other priorities to focus on settling a new leader into the role," the report says.

The research reflects what Brendan Kelly, a councillor and the deputy mayor of Diamond Valley, an approximately 60-kilometre drive southwest of Calgary, has been experiencing. 

The recently amalgamated town is currently looking for a CAO.

"This will be my fourth CAO in about as many years," Kelly said.

He said turnover hurts continuity, and part of the trust residents have in their local government depends on having a great administrative leader.

Why are CAOs leaving?

Many current and former CAOs who responded to the survey mentioned "council" when asked if they could change one thing about their current role.

They shared concerns about defining the roles of council and administration and communication between the two sides.

"The political climates are getting more divisive and more difficult and so it can create really difficult working environments for CAOs," Graham told CBC News. 

Stress emerged as another theme in the survey responses, with some saying they wanted better work-life balance.

With the rise of remote work since the pandemic, Graham said, convincing someone to relocate to a small community can also be a tough sell.

How can communities keep them?

Graham said having clearly defined roles for council and administration and having respectful decorum can help increase the job satisfaction of CAOs. 

During her presentation, she encouraged municipalities to work with other communities and look to professional associations for training and peer support opportunities. 

June Boyda, the CAO of the summer villages of Itaska Beach, Silver Beach and Sundance Beach, said providing networking sessions is one way to support CAOs. 

"It is very helpful to be around other administrators who are going through similar situations," she said during the conference session.

Flexible hours and remote work can also help draw people to these positions, she said.

Graham said there's a lack of research that examines the issue across the country but the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators shared similar anecdotal concerns about CAO tenure.

"My hope actually is that this project in Alberta maybe sparks a broader investigation across Canada," she said.