CAO Doug McNeil retires after revamping city management

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This article was published 13/02/2019 (2145 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Doug McNeil announced Thursday morning that he’ll retire as Winnipeg’s CAO after four years on the job and almost 36 years working for the province and city hall.

At a hastily-called news conference, attended by both McNeil and Mayor Brian Bowman, McNeil, 58, said he wanted to spend more time with his family – but he didn’t rule out returning to work at some point in the future.

“I was born, raised and educated in this city. I love this city. I’m not going anywhere,” McNeil told reporters. “But I’m 58 years old, almost 36 years in the public service. It’s just time to retire.”

An engineer by profession, McNeil spent 20 years working for the city’s water and waste department and was the city’s front man during the 1997 flood. Shortly after that, he moved to the Floodway Authority, where he oversaw the expansion of the floodway and then moved to the province, where he headed the highways department.

McNeil returned to city hall in April 2015, the first significant personnel hiring during Bowman’s first term as mayor.

Bowman had fired acting CAO Deepak Joshi early in 2015 and wanted a leader for the city’s workforce. McNeil was hired following a national job search.

Bowman said that while McNeil remains CAO until his retirement in April, a search committee will be struck to find his replacement.

Bowman thanked McNeil, saying he helped to modernize and professionalize the city’s public service.

“Some say leadership by example ranks amongst the highest qualities of all leadership qualities and I believe you did your best to exemplify that quality day in and day out,” Bowman said.

McNeil revamped the city’s senior management level – a move that some criticized – as he created an upper echelon of management above the department heads.

McNeil said returning to city hall was the “crowning achievement” of his career but he singled out the men and women who work for city hall for the service they provide to residents.

“What I’m proud of, and stands out in my mind, it’s not so much the steel and concrete but it’s the people,” McNeil said. “It’s hugely important to have the right people in the right positions… I might be leaving but all those great people are still staying behind.”

McNeil volunteered to place his employment contract on the city’s website, the first city CAO to do that.

McNeil was also caught up in the Wilkes twinning controversy, where residents suggested he and former Coun. Marty Morantz had worked covertly with the engineering department to plan a new route that would have seen the expropriation of several properties in south Charleswood.

That project was ultimately put on hold by council, and McNeil and Morantz were cleared of any involvement by a review by the city’s auditor. McNeil told reporters that incident still stung.

“The thing that hurt me the most is that my integrity was in question,” McNeil said.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca