Another staffer leaves Stouffville town hall

HR manager Pavlina Thompson "no longer with the town"

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 14, 2017
By Ali Raza

The town is still struggling with staffing issues.

Most recently, human resources manager Pavlina Thompson is “no longer with the town” according the spokesperson Glenn Jackson.

Posts on social media noted that development services director Mary Hall resigned. Jackson said that is not true and that Hall is still employed by the town.

But Thompson’s exit marks a steady and continuing pace of staff departures since Jan. 1, 2015. Indeed it was Thompson who revealed during council meeting in April 2016 that 30 staff members had left the town.

That number continues to increase with her departure. She was not available for comment.

Jackson had nothing more to say: “because it’s an HR issue, we have no further statement.”

Shortly after the exodus was revealed, Thompson oversaw an HR plan to address major concerns regarding the staff departures. She is now the fourth HR manager since Jan. 1, 2015 to have left the town.

Keeping a permanent Chief Administrative Officer - the position that oversees the HR department — has also been elusive task for the town.

While former CAO Marc Pourvahidi held the role from May 5, 2015 to Nov. 18, 2016 after being the acting CAO from March to May 2015, he was dismissed due to a “personnel matter” after a lengthy leave of absence.

His successor - Fire Chief Rob McKenzie - only held the position for two weeks before passing the baton to leisure and community services director Rob Raycroft.

Last December, Raycroft announced his resignation from the CAO position effective end of February 2017. His leaked resignation letter highlighted “aggressive behaviour or threats of being sued/harassment charges on the phone” as his reasons for leaving the post.

Jackson said Raycroft would remain as acting CAO until a new CAO was hired. A “recruitment process” is “currently underway” he confirmed.

That process costs $21,000.

“There are no names to be mentioned, the process has begun,” Jackson said. “Council and the CAO’s office are using a recruiter service to replace the CAO.”