Municipal administrators seeking legislated regulation for profession

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This article was published 16/04/2025 (184 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The group representing municipal administrators is urging the province to create a regulatory body for the profession, warning of a “critical human resource crunch” as a chunk of the workforce prepares to retire.

About 300 members from the Manitoba Municipal Administrators participated in a recent survey that found one-third of respondents are planning to leave their positions within five years, and nearly 60 per cent within a decade. Of those, 63 per cent indicated there are no succession plans in place for their departure, MMA association president Nicole Chychota said.

“We do see this as a very critical issue for administration and municipalities in Manitoba, and if we want to avoid a crisis in the future, we have to start acting now,” Chychota.

The MMA is asking the province to establish standards and guidelines for chief administrative officers, hoping a formal training process will create a pipeline for qualified professionals to replace the retiring workforce.

The group submitted a proposal to Municipal Relations Minister Glen Simard in December, asking him to introduce certifications for both chief administrative officers and people working in lower administrative roles, including finance managers, municipal clerks and assistant CAOs.

Under Manitoba’s current laws, municipal administrators — including those hired as CAOs and tasked with managing budgets, human resources and overseeing day-to-day operations — are not required to have any official qualifications.

Other high-level professionals, such as city planners, lawyers and physicians are represented and regulated by legislated bodies.

Several of Manitoba’s municipal CAOs have recently been accused, investigated or charged in fraud cases involving public funds, underscoring the need for formal oversight, Chychota said.

Manitoba Municipal Administrators has developed an educational and disciplinary framework to oversee the profession. It has asked the Simard to amend legislation and enshrine the group as a provincial regulator.

“We firmly believe this is the way that is best to move forward,” she said. “The pieces are there, we just need the legislation to change.”

In January, Simard told the Free Press he was considering the proposal.

A spokesperson from his office reiterated that statement in an email Tuesday.

“We appreciate the thoughtful and detailed proposal that has been brought forward and are taking the necessary time to review it carefully.”

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca