Top leadership in HRM announces retirement

CITYnewsa halifax / By Natasha O’Neill

One of the top leaders in Halifax Regional Municipality announced her plans to retire later this year.

Cathie O’Toole has been the municipality’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) since January 2023, but has served in the public service for over 25 years. The region announced her resignation on July 10.

It is expected O’Toole will retire later this year, but she will continue as the city’s CAO until October while developing a transition plan.

“It has been an honour to serve both the municipality and Halifax Water, and I take pride in the projects and initiatives I have had the privilege of working on and leading,” she said in the press release.

The city did not detail when the long-standing staffer’s last day would be.

Other politics stories:

• HRM moves forward with work on the Windsor Street exchange redesign
• Report raises concern over high tax rates in Nova Scotia
• Houston touts Nova Scotia’s leadership as province earns ‘A’ in trade

O’Toole was first granted leadership within the municipality when she came on as a director of infrastructure and asset management in October 2007. From there, she became the city’s director of finance for two years, before leaving to Halifax Water for over a decade.

She returned to the city in 2023 to take up the CAO position after becoming one of the utility’s top brass, a position she held for just under four years.