Orillia Mayor Don McIsaac was recently granted strong mayor powers by Robert Flack, the minister of municipal affairs and housing, to help the city during its state of emergency. The powers were granted last Friday and are in force until June 30, 2025 as the city looks to recover from the ice storm.
This morning, McIsaac issued a "mayoral direction" letter rescinding the appointment of Trevor Lee as the new chief administrative (CAO) officer of Orillia. Lee was scheduled to start April 14, according to a release issued by the city March 21.
Instead, using the "special powers and duties" as head of council, McIsaac has appointed the city's current deputy CAO/solicitor, Amanpreet Singh Sidhu, as the new CAO.
In a council information package released ahead of today's council meeting, McIsaac cites Singh Sidhu's experience and time with the city as the reasons for his decision.
"We are truly at a critical point in Orillia’s history," notes the letter from the mayor. "The decisions we make now will define our direction for years to come. At a time of such complexity, strong, stable, and proven leadership is not optional, it’s essential.
"As part of a leadership transition, I want to advise council that Trevor Lee will no longer be assuming the position of Chief Administrative Officer. To ensure stability and continuity, I have appointed Amanpreet Singh Sidhu as the Chief Administrative Officer, effective immediately," notes the mayor's letter.
"Amanpreet has served as deputy CAO since January 2024 and has been with the city since 2020," McIsaac says in his letter.
"He has shown exceptional leadership throughout his time with the corporation and brings a deep understanding of both our internal operations and the community we serve. He has led with a steady hand and has demonstrated the level of clarity, collaboration, and resilience we need moving forward," McIsaac wrote.
In response to the decision, four city councillors have signed an open letter, also dated April 7, to McIsaac and Flack, decrying the granting of strong mayor powers and their deployment in this manner.
"We the undersigned members of Orillia city council strongly oppose Mayor McIsaac’s request for 'strong mayor powers,' and his decision to use those powers to subvert and reverse the decision of council to hire Mr. Trevor Lee as CAO of the City of Orillia," reads the letter signed by councillors David Campbell, Janet-Lynne Durnford, Jay Fallis and Tim Lauer.
Due to quorum regulations, only four city councillors were permitted to sign the letter.
"Special powers and duties for the head of council under section 284.2 of the Municipal Act are not necessary to respond to the state of emergency. Strong mayor powers were specifically created by the province to prioritize building new homes and construction of housing-supportive infrastructure," the letter continues.
The letter requests that McIsaac and Flack rescind Orillia's designation for strong mayor power "immediately."
Orillia remains in a state of emergency that was declared last weekend in the wake of the ice storm that has devastated Orillia and its surrounding townships.
Council is meeting at city hall today at 2 p.m.
