Adjala-Tosorontio is looking for a new fire chief once again after the township’s latest hire tendered his resignation just two weeks after joining the municipality.
The township's chief administrative officer Nelson Santos said newly appointed fire Chief Jeff Fairbarn made the decision to leave the township after receiving another employment offer from a larger municipality.
He said the offer was one that Fairbarn “could not walk away from” and that he made the decision with his family in mind.
Santos said Fairbarn will continue to serve as fire chief until mid-December.
Fairbarn had been hired to replace interim Chief Colin Hanna, who was appointed as the acting chief in July after the previous fire chief, Darryl Bailey, left the township in June to work for another municipality.
Bailey’s tenure with the township lasted just over a year.
Santos acknowledged the township continues to struggle with employee turnover and attracting talent amid a competitive market.
“The municipal employment sector remains quite dynamic,” he said. “We recognize that our township represents a location that is an easy commute to larger municipal employers who may offer higher pay, less stress, hybrid work, and more specialized duties. It cannot be lost that the township is competing against these larger centres for specialized, technical and professional municipal jobs and as we train our staff with these assets, they become prime candidates for recruitment and/or poaching.”
Santos said the township is working to address this, and is finalizing a formal pay equity and compensation review. He said the township hasn’t completed a review like this since 2012, and the last one hasn't been updated since 2017.