Russell Township Mayor, and current United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Warden Pierre Leroux has announced his resignation. Leroux will become the new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of The Nation Municipality.
Russell Township officially announced Leroux’s resignation on Tuesday, April 2. It will take effect on April 19 and his first day as CAO of The Nation is May 6.
Leroux acknowledged it is more common for former municipal administrators to become elected officials, and not the other way around as he is doing.
“It doesn’t happen very often,” he said.
According to The Nation Mayor Francis Brière, council ratified hiring Leroux at a closed session meeting on Tuesday, April 2.
Leroux, who formerly owned convenience and video rental stores in Embrun and Casselman, was elected as a councillor in Russell Township in 2010. He was elected mayor in 2014. After becoming mayor, Leroux began taking courses in municipal administration from Dalhousie University as a way of learning to bridge the operational and political aspects of municipal government and became a certified municipal administrator.
Current Nation CAO Josée Brizard is retiring and has served the municipality for eight years. Her final day at The Nation is May 3. Brizard’s retirement was announced in January and the position was advertised with a salary of $73.15 to $82.80 per hour.
“I didn’t originally apply,” Leroux remarked. However, he did say an unnamed source asked if he was interested in applying.
Brière said no candidates were selected by the hiring committee from the first applications received in January. Leroux submitted his application at a later point.
Leroux said he does not foresee any challenges with going from an elected role to an administrative role. He said the position is about building relationships, working with other professionals, and helping to guide the strategic vision of The Nation’s council.
Russell Township’s population is projected to reach 23,830 by 2036. Leroux said growth has characterized his time as mayor.
“The sort of growth we’re seeing and the ability to maneuver through that growth,” he remarked.
Leroux said significant municipal projects during the past decade are the sports dome and planning for a new recreation complex. He said one of the challenges has been managing the expectations residents have of their municipal government because many of those residents have moved from larger cities to a growing municipality trying to meet increased needs for services and infrastructure.
“Russell Township is well-positioned,” Leroux said.
Looking ahead, Leroux said the situation in The Nation Municipality is quite similar to where Russell Township was 15 years ago. The Nation is also facing growth, particularly in the western and southern parts of the municipality, which will place further pressures on services and infrastructure. Leroux wants to begin his new role by getting an understanding of the people and working culture of the municipality.
“We’re right in the crux of a lot of growth,” Brière said.
He said Leroux’s experiences with development and a growing population in Russell will be an asset to The Nation.
“That kind of experience is very hard to come by,” Brière said.
Due to the resignation and upcoming transition, Leroux will not be attending the April 8 Russell Township council meeting. Councillor Jamie Laurin, who already served as Alternate Mayor, will act as mayor on an interim basis until Russell council decides how to proceed with selecting a permanent replacement. Leroux will continue to serve as UCPR Warden until April 19 but his final council meeting of the regional government was on March 27. According to the Municipal Act, a new UCPR Warden cannot be appointed until a new Mayor of Russell Township is appointed first.
Leroux also served as UCPR Warden in 2020, leading the regional government through the challenging months of the COVID-19 pandemic. During his time at UCPR council, he has also championed ways of better financing infrastructure development to accommodate growth, and he has also supported the service delivery review currently underway between the UCPR and its eight municipalities.
“The region as a whole is going in a better direction,” Leroux said.
“We are extremely grateful for Warden Leroux’s contributions since he became a Member of the UCPR Council in 2014. A strong advocate of our regional interests and well-being, his legacy will be felt for years to come,” UCPR CAO Stéphane Parisien said.
During his 14 years in municipal politics, Leroux has also served as chair of South Nation Conservation and the Eastern Ontario Regional Network.
