The City of Greater Sudbury has revoked their employment contract with Hailey Pinksen, the city’s new director of Finance and Chief Financial Officer.
Mayor Paul Lefebvre broke the news to local media during a conference this morning. During the conference, Lefebvre said the decision might carry financial impacts, though he was uncertain as to the potential amount.
Although city council doesn’t have the power to revoke Pinksen’s employment contract, Lefebvre said his office worked through city CAO Ed Archer to make it happen.
Lefebvre clarified that Pinksen was asked to relocate to Greater Sudbury or lose out on the job, and that due to personal reasons she had to decline relocation. The city will return to the hiring process, and Lefebvre said the winning candidate will either have to reside in the Greater Sudbury area or be willing to relocate.
Pinkson began her new role with the city on Nov. 21.
Controversy erupted earlier this week when it became known Pinksen did not plan on relocating to Greater Sudbury and that the city made accommodations for her to work remotely from Alberta on a permanent basis.
Following a wave of public backlash from people concerned about Pinksen’s ability to represent the city from Western Canada, city CAO Ed Archer told Sudbury.com he doesn’t disagree with the public’s points of concern.
“We may differ on whether it’s the most important thing,” he said, pointing to skillset as a greater priority, particularly in a stressful environment where an increasing number of people are choosing to retire.
“In a choice between hiring a candidate with the skills and qualifications we need who is here, locally, and one who will be working remotely, I will take the local candidate,” he said, adding that this was not the case as the city went through two rounds of seeking a candidate.
The city went to the hiring market twice before landing on Pinksen as their preferred candidate.
Calling the situation “novel but not unique,” Archer said technology has improved dramatically in recent years to accommodate remote work arrangements, particularly during the pandemic. Approximately 392 of the city’s 2,500 full-time equivalent staff currently work off-site on a permanent basis, including those who do so on a full- and part-time basis.
Sudbury.com has reached out to both Pinksen and the city’s communications staff requesting an interview with the city’s new CFO, but this request has not been granted.
More to come on this developing story.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.