Iqaluit CAO departs suddenly

DAN BENOIT

Iqaluit’s chief administrative officer, Clinton Mauthe, has unexpectedly departed his job as of Saturday, Jan. 27.

That’s the second such departure of an Iqaluit CAO in less than a year.

John Hussey, the city’s finance director, will act as CAO until the city begins a search for someone to fill the job permanently.

Hussey said on Tuesday he couldn’t supply details, for legal reasons, about Mauthe’s departure, other than “there is no longer an employee relationship between Mr. Mauthe and the City of Iqaluit as of Saturday.”

Mauthe came to Iqaluit last September, after accepting a five-year contract. His employment with the city ended just days after council approved its long-delayed budget this past Thursday.

Before accepting the job of CAO in Iqaluit, he held similar jobs over the past 15 years in northern communities in Alaska and northern Saskatchewan,

Shortly after Mauthe’s arrival, Coun. Glenn Williams said council selected Mauthe from a strong group of candidates.

Mauthe accepted the job after the former Iqaluit CAO, Ian Fremantle, left last March, when his negotiations with council over the terms of a new employment contract broke down.

In a March 20 letter, Fremantle said one of council’s demands, to hold a performance review every three months, “is an insult to both my integrity and my professional ability.”
Fremantle also said council’s foot-dragging over the eight months it took them to make a contract offer “clearly indicates a lack of support for the chief administrative officer.”