The top executive at Metro Vancouver has been let go, but the regional government has not revealed the cost to taxpayers to cover his severance. Jerry Dobrovolny served as chief administrative officer for seven years and during that time oversaw some tumultuous times at the regional district. In October of 2020, human error led to the accidental sudden release of millions of litres of water at the Cleveland Dam. The resulting torrent swept downstream and killed two people fishing on the Capilano River. A new wastewater treatment plant on the north shore was initially estimated to cost $700 million, but the latest price tag for the long-delayed project is now predicted to come in at $3.86 billion. On Friday, Metro Vancouver announced Dobrovolny was out and would be replaced in an acting capacity by deputy CAO Heather McNell. “On behalf of the board, I thank Jerry for his many years of public service and contributions to Metro Vancouver as an organization and a region,” Mike Hurley, chair of the Metro Vancouver board said in a statement. The move comes just weeks ahead of municipal elections in the jurisdictions that make up the regional district. “It’s a lot of change just before an election. It does give the new board of directors an opportunity to select whichever leader that they choose, and they’re not encumbered by whichever previous leader led Metro Vancouver,” said Alexa Loo, a Richmond city councillor who is running for mayor in the upcoming election. Dobrovolny’s total compensation added up to more than $567,000 last year. The news release from Metro Vancouver failed to mention how much severance he will receive. “I believe the taxpayers deserve clarity on how much it’s going to cost,” Loo told CTV News. Linda Annis, a Surrey First city councillor who is also running for mayo, has called on the province to conduct a core review of Metro Vancouver’s governance. She also wants to know details of Dobrovolny’s severance. “The only thing that I’ve heard is the chair say, in an interview, that this could be around a year and a half severance,” Annis said. If that is accurate, taxpayer money owed to Dobrovolny could exceed $800,000. “Quite frankly, that’s way too much. I think politicians are far too generous with some of these severance packages that are given to senior management. And we need to be more responsible with the taxpayer dollars,” Annis said. Metro Vancouver did not make anyone available for an interview about the Dobrovolny’s exit and the cost to taxpayers.
