Cornwall Loses CAO Mathieu Fleury

In a surprising turn of events, the City of Cornwall has officially parted ways with its Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mathieu Fleury. This announcement was made public by Katherine Wells, the city's Director of Government Relations and Corporate Priorities, who informed the media just before noon on Wednesday. Mayor Justin Towndale conveyed the news to city employees earlier that morning.

The decision follows a closed-door meeting held by the Cornwall city council on Tuesday, which had a single agenda item: the performance evaluation process of specific individuals. The council is allowed to discuss personal information in private, which leads to speculation that Fleury’s employment was a significant point of discussion.

In a statement expressing gratitude, Wells said, “Council would like to express its sincere gratitude to Mr. Fleury for all his work over the past year and his dedication to the City of Cornwall and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.” However, further comments from the city have been limited, and inquiries to Mayor Towndale and other council members were met with silence, apart from a heartfelt remark from Coun. Fred Ngoundjo, who stated, “I’m very sorry about the parting of ways. I feel very bad about it.”

Fleury's departure comes as a shock to many, especially since he recently reflected on his first year in the CAO role, where he highlighted Cornwall's strategic plan – a roadmap consisting of four pillars and 77 objectives – which had received unanimous approval from the council. Despite having acknowledged the challenges he faced with council members, including some pointed criticisms from Councillors Elaine MacDonald and Denis Sabourin, Fleury maintained that his objective was to support and give candid advice to the council.

This sudden exit raises pressing questions regarding the city’s upcoming budget deliberations slated for next month. With Fleury’s departure, it remains unclear how the meeting schedules will unfold or if they will face delays.

Interestingly, Fleury was appointed to the CAO position only in late August 2023, having signed a five-year contract after serving as the interim executive director for a non-profit housing and community support organization. Previous to that, he spent over a decade as a city councillor in Ottawa. His brief tenure as Cornwall’s CAO followed the departure of Maureen Adams, who left for another position earlier in the year.

Now, as Cornwall faces a second search for a CAO within three years, Tracey Bailey, the general manager of financial services and treasurer, will step into the interim CAO role until a suitable replacement is found. This latest shake-up compounds an ongoing staffing challenge within Cornwall’s senior management ranks.

As the city gears up for a new chapter, eyes will be on how quickly a new leader is appointed, and what direction they will take amidst ongoing challenges facing the community. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story!