2 Nunavut hamlets under supervision orders
GN appointees assisting municipal affairs in Clyde River, Kinngait for a year
Kinngait, pictured here, and Clyde River have been placed under municipal supervision orders. A GN appointee has been hired in each community to assist the hamlets in their operations. (File photo by David Venn)
Two hamlets have been placed under what the Government of Nunavut calls a municipal supervision order, and are receiving the assistance of a GN appointee to manage day-to-day operations.
The supervision orders for Clyde River and Kinngait were announced in the Feb. 29 Nunavut Gazette, and published on the Department of Justice’s legislation website.
A municipal supervisor was appointed in each community for a one-year term, starting Jan. 26.
Under the Hamlets Act, the minister of community and government services is able to “place the affairs of the municipal corporation under supervision, and appoint a supervisor of the affairs of the municipal corporation” if the minister believes that the community is in financial or operational difficulty, council has failed to perform a duty required of it under the act, or if it is in the “best interests” of the municipality.
The Gazette notice indicates that Community and Government Services Minister David Joanasie believed that in Clyde River, it was in its “best interests” to be placed under supervision.
For Kinngait, the reason indicated was “operational difficulties.”
Gregory Belanger, manager of policy and legislation with the Community and Government Services Department, explained in an email the situations for both communities.
In Clyde River, the department had been assisting the hamlet with “enhanced management services.”
“This included sending in resources to review the current administration and operations to clearly understand the administrative and operational position of the municipality,” Belanger said.
“During this process, the hamlet communicated that they needed a higher level of support to ensure ongoing financial and operational stability. This was exasperated as the senior administrative officer resigned leaving the position vacant.”
Belanger offered a shorter explanation for the situation in Kinngait.
“In Kinngait, the losses of key administrative and operational positions, including the senior administrative officer, had prompted the mayor to reach out to the Department of Community and Government Services to assist in fulfilling the municipal corporation’s administrative and operational requirements,” he said.
The supervision orders were addressed in question period March 1 at the legislative assembly.
Uqqummiut MLA Mary Killiktee, whose riding includes Clyde River, asked Joanasie to explain the supervision order in that community.
One of her questions asked if the mayor and council stay on while under a supervision order.
“Yes, the mayor and council will stay as such while the appointed supervisor is there to help them run the organization properly,” Joanasie said.
“So that person is there just to help the community and that’s because the council requested a supervisor be appointed under a motion.”
Joanasie also said during that question period that he’s not aware of any other communities needing a supervisor’s assistance, but his department is available to help if it comes to that.
“I do know that the hamlet councils or municipalities do diligent work in trying to run their business and we try to provide support to the municipalities,” Joanasie said.
“If the Department of Community and Government Services is required to do so, the municipalities can request for help.”
The Hamlets Act outlines a one-year term for municipal supervisors, but also allows for the order to be extended if needed.
Belanger added that the supervisors work with hamlet councils to “restore operational capacity and administrative process.”
“The intention of these municipal supervision orders is to ensure capacity for managing the affairs of the municipal corporation is restored by the conclusion of the order,” Belanger said.
“This includes implementing standardized processes and staffing positions that will support continued administrative success.”
This is your future Nunavut. Behold…
Nothing new here, with how the education system dept of education has done things for 20 plus years now there is no surprise here, no real training and capacity building in Nunavut, the transient revolving door of outside workers is the priority for our governments.
I know the word colonial or colonization is thrown around a little too much today but it is what it is, iwe are still using this colonial system in Nunavut and until that changes this will be a on going issue in Nunavut where majority of the employees up here are not from Nunavut and that is not working out very well.
The majority of smaller communities in Nunavut need to be appropriately investigated for bullying and practicing nepotism and getting away with it, to a point where the elderly councils are being overturned by the other councils who are related to the employees.
Arviat is not exempt ….all levels of Gov’t, down to the Housing Ass’n, is governed by nepotism…several ’employees’ in Housing are related…not surprising that the ’employees’ relatives are ‘granted’ housing, even not going through the ‘Housing Board of Directors’….sincerely hoping that is not the case in the rest of Nunavut…MLAs, Premieres, wake up….you making too much $$$$
I like everything about inuits my gf is
Lot of incompetence at the gn level but nowhere near the levels of incompetence at the hamlets.
Amen.
In all levels. GN and so on.
Majority of local GN employees are related to each other and ain’t gonna change anytime soon.😆🤘
To be Frank, GN appointed supervision because Hamlets were incapable of doing their jobs.
Thanks frankly, Frank. You’re probably right though odds are that GN didn’t do its job competently either
CGS (COMMUNITY and Government Affairs) is responsible for community oversight and governance. Along with monthly reporting, CGS receives an annual, professional, independent audit of each hamlet. It is in close communication with elected and administrative community leaders.
Given the GN that we have come to know, do you think that GN staff or its legislative members do their jobs properly?
This story begs many questions and comments, maybe, especially, that this is another example of the blind leading the blind.
On another note, to the quote from Gregory Belanger, manager of policy and legislation with the Community and Government Services Department:
” … they needed a higher level of support to ensure ongoing financial and operational stability. This was exasperated as the senior administrative officer resigned …”
Did he say ‘exasperated’, meaning ‘exacerbated’ OR did NN just not get it
It’s very flusterating!
Actually I am surprised that there are not more communities under supervision . I suspect a few more communities could be close.
In my many years in Nunavut I have seen zero investment by the GN in general and CGS in particular, in training and support for finance and administrative staff. The days when an SAO could look after everything including the bookkeeping are long gone. It is easy to see how communities can get into financial difficulty .
SAO’s have regular training and networking opportunities, so do EDO’s, Justice workers, wellness workers, Firefighters, Search and Rescue, Recreation ,Lands administrators.
Yet there is no Municipal Finance Officers Association as exists in most provinces to offer structured practical training and development of staff from entry level up to Director. There are no networking opportunities so that common problems may be identified and better practices or possible solutions could be identified.
In fact , to my knowledge, there is no published list of Finance professionals working in Nunavut communities. Every community must try to do its best alone. This is not the way to get the best results
Council members often point fingers at the SAO (Senior Accounting Officer) when their hamlet’s finances go into deficit. However, it is the Finance Officer’s responsibility to ensure that the budget is not exceeded and that the hamlet stays within its financial limits. It is also the Finance Officer’s duty to raise any concerns regarding the financial health of the municipality to the SAO and Council. It’s important to note that all Finance Officers are usually not under the union and, therefore, are answerable to the Council as well.
SAO (Senior Administration Officer) *
How many Finance Officers in Nunavut barely have their grade 12? Should speak volumes.
Kimmirut should be there too. We went from $56 monthly water bills to $250 and up with no explanation other than Kimmirut is broke…
What does trucking water and sewage actually costs?
No wonder Kimmirut is broke.
I guess the mayor from Sanikiluaq is doing fine 🙂
Igloolik Hamlet also need to be audited and stop hiring the retired SAO back to train th acting SAO, rather hire someone else to train the Acting SAO.
They need to stop hiring relatives and treat people in the community the same, no matter who they are,
They don’t even adversities jobs, they just hire their relatives!
Same as Whale Cove Hamlet. It’s all about relatives
Nothing to see here. Except for, inept and poorly educated employees, nepotism and corruption
Yup the future looks bright.