The Town of La Ronge has a new chief administrative officer, at least on a temporary basis.

Dean Yaremchuk of HMC Management will be serving in the position until a permanent replacement can be found.

HMC will also assist in the process of recruiting a new CAO and updating La Ronge’s policies and procedures.

The position has been vacant since the fall of 2018 when former CAO Stephen Conway abruptly quit levelling serious charges of racism, homophobia and corruption against town council in his resignation letter.

La Ronge Mayor Ron Woytowich said finding a replacement for Conway has been a challenge after he went public with his allegations.

“Yes, he (Conway) did damage our reputation and probably some of what he said had truth to it, but not all of it,” he said. “Quite frankly, we are a really good community and we provide excellent services but it’s very hard to find people who want to move to the north, period.”

Yaremchuk said he is not aware of what happened in the past but finding a fully qualified administrator for a remote northern community like La Ronge can be difficult in and of itself.

“It’s difficult I think sometimes to find the right skillset and the right fit for the right community because one size does not really fit all,” he said. “So, part of our process is to understand the skills and the needs and the challenges of this particular municipal government.”

Woytowich said the contract with HMC will cost the town between $100,000 and $150,000.