The city manager in Merritt has been fired by the city as requested by the new council.
Shawn Boven was let go on Friday after holding the CAO job in Merritt for three years, and working for the city for more than a decade.
Mayor Linda Brown says the community has called for change ever since the municipal election.
“And it became pretty clear that the change in direction required a change in the top position,” Brown says. “So this council is different than the last term, and I ran on a platform of respect, integrity accountability and leadership and I sincerely hope that characteristics will be the hallmark of my term as mayor.
The mayor of Merritt Linda Brown says there’s no single reason for Boven’s firing, but she reiterated a need for transparency from city hall.
“Council places a high level of importance on communication, and understanding that keeping the lines of communication open is key to initiating progress we expect.”
In the short term, the city’s director of finance Sheila Thiessen will serve as Merritt’s acting city manager.
Brown says a new CAO won’t be hired until the new year.