Chief of staff for City of Burlington set to resign

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Published October 6, 2023 at 1:44 pm

Burlington manager resigns search
Tim Commisso is stepping down as Burlington's top manager.

Burlington’s city manager has announced he will be leaving the job.

Tim Commisso, who has served in the position as the chief of staff since 2019, says he will not seek to renew his contract that will end next year.

“Serving as City Manager of Burlington has been the highlight of my 42-year municipal career, said Commisso in a released statement. “My decision did not come lightly, and I have a need to spend more time with my family at this time in both of my cherished “hometowns” – Burlington and Thunder Bay. In providing this notice now, I want to ensure sufficient time exists to advance and complete several priority Council initiatives.”

The City manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Burlington overseeing all aspects of municipal services. The position reports directly to City council.

Commisso has worked for the City of Burlington for more than 25 years at various times.

Starting in Burlington in 1988m he has held various senior City leadership roles including general manager positions in Community Services and Development and Infrastructure, director of Parks and Recreation and deputy city treasurer. His achievements range from completing major community projects with resident involvement, such as the Downtown Waterfront project for Burlington in 2006, the Appleby Ice Centre and Paletta Park and Mansion. Commisso was also the project lead on the financial management system and the facilitation of the City’s strategic plan.

In 2008 he moved to Thunder Bay where he held the city manager’s position there before returning to Burlington in 2015.

“When I was a newly-elected mayor in 2018, Tim was always generous with his time, knowledge, and expertise,” said Mayor Marianne Meed Ward. “He brought stability during a time of considerable change at City Hall and the City of Burlington, as a whole, and is the longest serving City Manager in my 13 years on Council. He also led our organization through a global pandemic.”

The City said it will begin an immediate search for Commisso’s replacement and that he will stay on the job long enough to help with the transition to the new person.

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