The Town of Hawkesbury now has a permanent Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), who has already occupied the role on an interim basis for nine months.
On Monday, February 13, council unanimously adopted a bylaw appointing Samuel Cardarelli as CAO.
Mayor Robert Lefebvre congratulated Cardarelli and thanked him for his work as the interim manager of the municipal government.
“You did very well,” the mayor said.
“Thank you, council, for having confidence in me,” responded Cardarelli.
Cardarelli joined the Town of Hawkesbury in February of 2021 as the Director of Recreation and Tourism. On May 3, 2022, he was appointed interim CAO when the former occupant of the position, Dominique Dussault, went on leave. She subsequently resigned on September 27, 2022.
Geneviève Goulet is currently serving as Acting Director of Recreation, Tourism, and Municipal Facilities. Cardarelli said the future of how municipal departments are managed will depend on if a reorganization of the management structure takes place.
The new, permanent CAO wants to continue efforts to help Hawkesbury progress forward.
“I think we’re going in the right direction,” Cardarelli said.
Clarence-Rockland councillor
Serving as Chief Administrative Officer for the Town of Hawkesbury is not Cardarelli’s only municipal role. In October 2022, he was re-elected to Clarence-Rockland city council, representing Ward 4.
Cardarelli said he will be allowed to retain his seat on city council while serving as CAO in Hawkesbury. He consulted with the Ethics Commissioner and was told there were no issues, unless Hawkesbury and Clarence-Rockland decided to enter into some form of agreement, such as purchases, or jointly developing infrastructure.
“It is not (a problem) unless we do deals with the municipalities,” Cardarelli said.
He noted the potential for any deals between the Town of Hawkesbury and the City of Clarence Rockland is low, because the two municipalities do not border each other, therefore making it highly unlikely they would ever share services or infrastructure.
