Head of Halifax Water will be city’s new chief administrative officer

The head of Halifax Water will be the city’s new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Cathie O’Toole will take over the job from Jacques Dubé at the start of the new year.

Dubé, who served in the role for six years, announced his resignation in May.

“This is the right time and the right place for Cathie’s inspiring, collaborative leadership,” said Mayor Mike Savage in a news release.

“Her dedication to public service, as well as a proven track record of effective financial and operational management and delivering results, will be invaluable to our amazing staff as we continue to embrace the many opportunities and challenges of our fast-growing municipality.”

As general manager of Halifax Water, O’Toole oversaw the approval of a roughly 7.2-per-cent general water rate increase for municipal residents.

In her new role as CAO, O’Toole will oversee a municipal budget of over $1 billion and a staff of roughly 5,000.

Historically, the job also comes with a hefty salary.

Last year, Dubé took home more than $312,000 in public funds, making him the highest paid city employee.

O’Toole says it will be a privilege to work with an “extraordinary team of dedicated professionals at the municipality.”

“I look forward to building upon the progress that’s been achieved and collaborating with colleagues and partners in the shared commitment to provide exceptional service to all our residents,” she said in the release.

Before joining Halifax Water, O’Toole spent a decade with the city, serving in a variety of roles including director of finance/chief financial officer and director of infrastructure and asset management.

Halifax Water says its board of commissioners is expected to appoint Louis de Montbrun, the utility’s current director of corporate services/chief financial officer, as acting general manager until a new general manager is hired.