Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Cambridge Bay (Oct 07/02) - In less than a month Elwood Johnston will begin working as a senior administrative officer on contract.

But he does not intend on giving up his position as head of the Nunavut Association of Municipal Administrators.

Elwood Johnston will remain president of the Nunavut Municipal Administrators Association. -

Johnston will round up his three-year term as Cambridge Bay SAO on Nov. 1. He will then head to Kugaaruk for a two-month contract SAO position.

"I'm slowing down," said Johnston. "I'm going to be a retiree-in-training."

Johnston said he may be in Kugaaruk for two years, but doesn't plan on living there full-time.

He said he will work on a two month in, one month out rotation in order to spend some time with relatives in Alberta and go on a cruise with his wife.

But Johnston doesn't plan on giving up his position as president of the NAMA. He came to that decision after talking it over with NAMA vice-president Ron Roach and a few other members.

"They said there's nothing in the bylaw saying a contractor that's acting as SAO cannot be president, so I guess I'm going to hang in for a while," he said.

When Sanikiluaq SAO Brian Fleming first heard Johnston was staying on as president, he expected NAMA members would be consulted.

But NAMA vice-president Ron Roach said members will not be asked for their opinion on the issue.

"He's still going to be an SAO, he's just going to be on a contract basis. And as long as he is SAO, he can still retain the presidency," he said.

An annual general meeting for the Nunavut Association of Municipalities is expected to be called in the spring, said Roach.

At that point, all of the administrators will have a side meeting to elect a new board.

"At this point everything remains the same and I see no problems with it," said the vice-president.

But if there is an outcry from NAMA members, Roach said the executive will schedule a conference call with all SAOs to deal with it.

Meanwhile, Johnston said he regrets leaving Cambridge Bay, but has no doubt that it's time to start winding down his career in municipal administration.