No getting ‘cute’ with the rules: new CAO
Posted Apr 5, 2011 05:46:57 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HRM’S new top civil servant will make his debut at today’s council meeting.
Newly-minted Chief Administrative Officer Richard Butts is a fresh arrival from Toronto, where he was the deputy city manager under newly-elected mayor Rob Ford.
He takes over the office vacated by Wayne Anstey, who resigned last month over the concert cash scandal.
The position has seen other controversies over the years, but Butts says he has a pretty straightforward set of rules to follow: offer the best professional advice, in a neutral and transparent fashion and implement council’s decisions aggressively.
“When we start varying those rules, when we think we can circumvent those rules, when we think we can get ‘cute,’ if you will, those are the times when I’ve seen public servants get into challenging situations,” he said. “”It’s my job and the job of everyone to avoid those situations because it takes away from the great work the public service does, it takes away from the great work council does and it takes away from a great city.”
Butts says he’s spending most of his time focused on the city’s books, preparing for the upcoming budget discussions. He says he will work to ensure public funds are spent efficiently and effectively and generally hopes his never becomes a household name.
“The less people know about me the better,” he said. “Any public servant that you know really well, you probably know about them for the wrong reasons. ”
Butts will be in the CAO seat when council meets today.
