Welcome to The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. The role of the Chief Administrative Officer can be isolating at the best of times. It is often described as the narrow point in the hourglass—the space between council and administration where expectations, accountability, and leadership converge. But what happens when that hourglass narrows even further? When the administration is not a team, but a single individual? When the CAO is also responsible for finance, pl

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. Today on the show, we’re discussing a mayor in Ontario who has his pay suspended for misusing strong mayor powers and harassing staff, a Saint John police union representative forcibly removed from council chambers amid governance tensions, and Winkler’s mayor calling for respect after the city was chosen to host its first Pride march. Later in the episode, we are diving into our series on the CAO,

Welcome to the Political Trenches Local Government at Work. When you think about what keeps a community running, municipal administrators are often the ones making it happen behind the scenes. The Manitoba Municipal Administrators, or MMA, has been supporting these professionals across Manitoba since 1931. With more than 300 members, the MMA focuses on education, professional development, and advocacy. Through connection, leadership development, and ongoing learning, they hel

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. We are continuing our dive into the CAO's role. Later in the episode, we will be joined by a team that is at the heart of Municipal Administrators in the Keystone Province. Manitoba Municipal Administrators President (and City of Portage la Prairie CAO) Nicole Chychota, and MMA Executive Director Adreienne Bestland. But before that interview, we will be discussing the top stories making municipal h

Welcome to the Political Trenches: Local Government at Work. Today, we welcome Brenda Orchard, who is the Chief Administrative Officer of Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, with more than 25 years of experience in senior municipal administration, including 16 years as a CAO. Over the course of her career, she has worked closely with municipal councils in three provinces—New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario—across both urban and rural communities. Last May, Brenda became

Welcome to Season Five the Political Trenches: Local Government At Work. We’re back in the trenches for another great episode. We are continuing our dive into the role of the CAO. And for our first edition of 2026, we are diving into an organization that works hand in hand with Municipal Administrators from across Canada, CAMA. We will be joined later in the episode by CAMA President Brenda Orchard. But as always, we have three stories we have been watching. First, Senior Shu

Welcome to The Political Trenches: Local Government At Work. Ian and I are back for the final time of 2025, with a look back on the stories that made municipal headlines across Canada, and your submissions regarding what took place over the last twelve months that we may have missed. Then finaly, we will be looking ahead to what the next twelve months may look like. *********************************** Subscribe to Show: Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3GISqEX   Spotify Podcas

Welcome to The Political Trenches: Local Government At Work. Ian and I are pleased to welcome Viv Thoss, who is an experienced local government professional and Chief Administrative Officer with a proven record of leading innovative municipal initiatives. Currently serving as CAO for the Town of High Level, Alberta, Viv began her CAO career in the picturesque Village of Silverton, British Columbia. We’re honoured to have Viv on the show today to discuss her experiences as a C

Welcome to the Political Trenches Local Government At Work. We’re back in the trenches for our final full episode of 2025. We are continuing our dive into the role of the CAO, We are honoured to be joined by Viv Thoss, who is the CAO for the Town of High Level, and who started her CAO career in British Columbia. So we are excited to dive into the challenges and opportunities of being a Cross Border CAO. But as always, we have three stories we have been watching. First, the Ma