metro vancouver leadership under scrutiny after abrupt exit of cfo
3 minute read
metro vancouver cao jerry dobrovolny.
jason payne
/
png
metro vancouver is facing scrutiny after the sudden departure of its chief financial officer and a report that its most senior administrator could also be under fire.
the abrupt exit of the chief financial officer, harji varn, also raised concerns of how much taxpayers will shell out in severance pay.
metro vancouver confirmed tuesday that varn is no longer with the regional authority “and has moved on to pursue other opportunities.” it declined to say whether varn resigned or was terminated, citing privacy legislation. it also did not say how much severance, if any, varn is entitled to.
according to metro’s financial documents, varn was paid a salary of just over $296,000 and benefits of nearly $23,700 in 2024.
global news reported monday that varn was suspended by chief administrative officer jerry dobrovolny — then later terminated by the board of directors — during a closed-door board meeting on friday. global further reported that a board motion for dobrovolny to be suspended and investigated for his suspension of varn was to be considered on jan. 30.
postmedia was unable to independently confirm the global story.
richmond councillor kash heed said the organization is in “complete turmoil,” adding the sudden departure of a high-level executive like varn comes at a cost for taxpayers.
advertisement
“when someone of that rank, a cfo, is suddenly let go there’s going to be some legal arguments as to what is owed to her,” he said.
heed, a critic of the remuneration and stipends paid to board and committee members, which is in addition to their municipal council salaries, said there could be extra costs if there is fallout involving dobrovolny.
“any way you look at this, this has significant implications for metro vancouver’s administration and more importantly how it is governed.”
when asked about a motion calling for dobrovolny’s suspension, a spokeswoman for metro declined to comment, saying it is a breach of the local government act to reveal what happened during a closed board meeting.
metro said dobrovolny remains chief administrative officer.
metro board chair mike hurley said he was concerned at “misinformation” circulating in the media and denies the characterization that the leadership team is in chaos.
“i have full confidence in … chief administrative officer jerry dobrovolny’s leadership,” he said in a statement.
“jerry has demonstrated professionalism, integrity, and the ability to guide metro vancouver through complex challenges while ensuring essential services are delivered without interruption.”
advertisement
hurley said the organization’s finance department is being led by deputy cfo linda sabatini, who has more than 30 years of experience at metro.
in a letter to staff obtained by postmedia, dobrovolny asked staff not to be “disheartened” by the portrayal of the organization, saying there were “inaccuracies” in the reporting but did not elaborate.
metro vancouver said deputy cao ravi chhina, who had been off on personal leave, is expected to return in the new year. the other deputy cao, heather mcnell, remains active within the organization.
in recent months, metro vancouver has faced criticism about the skyrocketing cost of the north shore wastewater treatment plant, which has jumped from about $700 million to $3.86 billion. it has also been under fire for the remuneration and travel expenses of board members.
the regional organization serves 3.1 million people over 21 municipalities and is responsible for water, sewage, some social housing, regional parks, and air quality. its board is comprised of 41 councillors drawn from the member municipalities.
in may, deloitte canada released a report saying there is a need to reduce the board’s size and that the board chair be changed from an elected official to an unelected expert in governance on a four-year contract.
advertisement
share story
