The Board of Directors of the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) held its quarterly Board meeting in Vancouver, BC from February 15-17, 2023. As part of that visit, they took a tour of the Surrey Biofuel Facility, which uses anaerobic digestion to process 100K tonnes of waste every year, diverting it from the landfill and helping to fuel their City with energy, all in support of the municipality’s net-zero goals. Thanks to CAMA Board member, Vincent Lalonde, City Manager of the City of Surrey, for hosting.
The Board discussed several topics at their meeting, but what follows are the highlights of those discussions:
Financial Statements. Brenda Orchard, Treasurer reported that the Association is planning for a balanced budget by year end March 31, 2023.
2023 Annual Conference. CAMA is currently preparing for its in-person Conference being held at the Deerhurst Resort from May 29-31, 2023 which will include special celebrations for our 50th Anniversary at the President's Dinner with a black and gold theme, a photo booth, and the ABBA Band - just to name a few.
Vacant Board Positions. In accordance with the requirements of the CAMA By-law, two positions have opened up on the CAMA Board of Directors for the 2023-2024 year: the position for Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories & Nunavut, and the position for Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island. All details on the nomination process can be found on the CAMA website.
FCM Booth. CAMA is excited to have a booth at the FCM Conference taking place in Toronto from May 25-27, 2023, to promote the CAO Performance Evaluation Toolkit, membership and our other resources. If you are attending FCM and would like to help at the booth, please contact the CAMA National Office at admin@camacam.ca.
Strong Mayor's White Paper. The Board approved the White Paper entitled "The Role and Significance of the CAO Position in Canadian Municipal Government: A CAMA 'White Paper' on Ontario's Strong Mayor Legislation and the Pivotal Role of the CAO in Providing Good Governance." A Communications Plan is being developed and will be rolled out soon.
Membership Committee. Our current membership stands at 670 members which is the largest in CAMA's history. We continue to seek new members, and Board members are also undertaking personal campaigns in their own Provinces/Territories. Continue to encourage your colleagues and staff to join CAMA with a 50% off discount for the first year. Additional members for each municipality can join for only $155.00.
Financial Stability Plan. The Board approved a new Financial Stability Plan which lays out strategic recommendations for membership services, current and new Non-Dues Revenue Programs, and the Annual Conference.
What is CAMA's Next Toolkit? The Toolkit Taskforce reviewed and updated CAMA's eight toolkits this past year including a new version of the CAO Performance Evaluation Toolkit with a Guide for the CAO and a Guide for the Mayor & Council. The Leadership Guide for CAO-Council Relations will be launched in April 2023, and the Toolkit for the Effective Executive Assistant to the CAO at the 2023 CAMA Conference. Some questions will be included on the Post-Conference Survey to determine what resources our members are seeking.
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