The City of New Westminster is seeking a “dynamic professional” to lead its legislative services team.
The city has embarked on a process to fill the corporate officer’s position at city hall. The job pays $157,590 to $173,791 annually, plus a comprehensive benefits package.
Last May, the City of New Westminster designated Peter Dejong as the city’s acting corporate officer.
That appointment was made when then city clerk Jacque Killawee temporarily took on a one-year reassignment to her previous position as the city’s records and information officer.
A staff report stated Dejong had been appointed as the acting corporate officer from May 1, 2023 and March 2, 2024.
In December 2023, Killawee left her employment with the City of New Westminster to take on a new job with Metro Vancouver.
When the Record contacted Dejong on Feb. 22 with questions regarding a story, it received a reply stating he is no longer working with the City of New Westminster.
The Record contacted the City of New Westminster for an update on the city clerk/corporate officer position.
Paul Taylor, the city’s current acting director of human resources and information technology, said Dejong’s departure from his role at the city was originally scheduled for the beginning of March, but it was agreed that he would depart two weeks earlier in order to take some vacation time with his family.
“The job posting for the corporate officer was posted on the city website on Nov. 24, and the timeline is open until the position is filled,” he said in an email to the Record.
Dennis Back is currently serving as the interim corporate officer (city clerk) and will be in this role until a permanent corporate officer is hired by the city, Taylor said.
According to the job posting, the corporate officer, who oversees the legislative services department, has a number of roles. This includes:
- Ensuring the effective and efficient delivery of the city’s political administration with city council, committees, staff and the public.
- Helping provide governance procedures at city council meetings and council committee meetings.
- Managing the administration and logistics of city council and council committee meetings.
- Conducting research and policy analysis, writing council reports and providing legislative and procedural advice to council, senior staff, and the public.
- Maintaining a corporate record of council, public hearing, and committee meeting minutes, policies, city bylaws and contracts.
- Providing advisory services to the chief administrative officer, senior staff, and council in matters relating to Freedom of Information (FOI), and corporate records management and document control, including the city’s electronic data management system (EDMS).
- Overseeing the administration of municipal elections.
- Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with council, senior management, staff, and the public.
- Leading and managing the legislative services team, including the deputy corporate officer, FOI and privacy coordinator, records analyst, committee clerks and other supporting roles, within a unionized environment.
