The Region of Queens has dismissed municipal clerk Pam Lovelace, just three months after she was hired, marking another senior staff change since the municipal election in October.
Interim CAO Dan McDougall would not comment on the dismissal, calling it a personnel matter, but said the municipality is working to fill the role. Mayor Scott Christian also declined to provide details, saying it was not council’s place to discuss personnel decisions.
Lovelace, a former Halifax councillor, was hired in December by then-CAO Cody Joudry, who was fired two weeks later. After his dismissal, council appointed Lovelace as acting CAO until McDougall was hired in mid-January.
The region had been without a full-time municipal clerk for more than a year before Lovelace was hired. Christian said council is now considering whether to restructure the position or create a deputy CAO role but has not made a final decision.
Meanwhile, the search for a permanent CAO is ongoing. The region has received more than 10 applications since the position was posted. Christian said council opted not to use a recruitment firm to save time and money but may reconsider if the initial search does not yield the right candidate.
The hiring committee includes Christian, Deputy Mayor Maddie Charlton, and councillors Courtney Wentzell and Stewart Jenkins, with McDougall providing advice.
