A cone of silence surrounds Port Colborne city hall following the sudden resignation of chief administrative officer Scott Luey last month. Luey's departure sparked speculation about the reasons behind his decision. His resignation was announced Dec. 20, and his last day was Dec. 31.
Ward 4 Coun. Monique Aquilina, when asked to comment on the situation, said councillors have been instructed not to discuss the situation. Niagara This Week attempted to contact Luey for comment, but has not been successful. A news release issued by the city said Luey made his decision “for personal reasons.”
Headlined “City of Port Colborne announces leadership transition,” the two-paragraph, three-sentence release was the first official announcement from Port Colborne about Luey’s recent status. Luey had mysteriously been placed on leave in the fall, a fact which came out after Niagara This Week questioned why the CAO had not been in attendance at meetings.
It’s unknown when the veteran municipal administrator initially went on leave, as the city had issued no prior communication about the situation.
According to Ontario’s public sector salary disclosure for 2023, also known as the Sunshine List, Luey was paid $221,939.91 in salary and $1,548.92 in benefits. The hiring and firing of a municipal CAO is strictly a council issue. As the city's top administrator, Luey played a central role in overseeing day-to-day operations and ensuring the successful implementation of council's strategic vision.
His resignation comes as the city is dealing with several key issues, such as a physicians leasing plan with Niagara Health for the first floor of its Port Colborne hospital. Luey had been Port Colborne’s CAO since 2015. Prior to that, he was CAO of Wainfleet for seven years following his work in a number of different departments in that township going back to 1999.
His wife, Mallory Luey, is now CAO of Wainfleet.
The two municipalities were last year in the process of exploring a shared services agreement for fire administration, during which Wainfleet fire Chief Morgan Alcock was acting fire chief of Port Colborne. That came to an abrupt halt earlier in December when the city announced former St. Catharines fire chief David Wood would serve as interim fire chief. But days later, Port Colborne said Wood had a change of heart, and Stan Double, who was most recently platoon chief for Hamilton’s fire department, would step into the role.
While treasurer Brian Boles has been appointed interim CAO, according to a statement issued by the city, the city has not elaborated on the reason for the decision, nor has council outlined next steps in the search for a permanent replacement.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 28.
Rose Lamberti is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at Niagara This Week.
