Manitoba

City of Brandon extends CAO's paid administrative leave for second time

The City of Brandon says it will continue to pay its Chief Administrative Officer Rod Sage, while he remains on leave from his job.

Rod Sage has been on a paid leave since Oct. 15, following death of woman who overdosed at his home

Rod Sage, the Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Brandon, has been on paid administrative leave since Oct. 15, 2019. (City of Brandon)

The City of Brandon says City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer Rod Sage will remain on a paid administrative leave, but it isn't saying for how long.

Sage has been on paid leave since Oct. 15, 2019, following a CBC investigation into the death of Christine Mitchell, a 30-year-old woman who overdosed at his home in July 2019.

She later died at the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

Sage was initially put on a six-week paid leave in late November. It was extended until Jan. 31, 2020.

"The current administrative leave of Rod Sage will extend beyond January 31st. Brandon City Council will provide an additional update at its earliest opportunity; however we are unable to provide further comment at this time," said Mayor Rick Chrest in an email Friday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Chest told CBC News that Brandon city council was in open budget deliberations all day Friday and Saturday and would likely not update the public regarding the status of Sage's leave until next week.

In October Manitoba's Attorney General announced it had called in the RCMP to investigate Mitchell's death and the subsequent Brandon Police Service's investigation.

Sage was a non-voting member of the local police board but had stepped away from his position shortly before being put on admin leave. 

RCMP say they continue to review the Brandon police investigation into Mitchell's death and have nothing new to provide at this time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caroline Barghout

Investigative Reporter, CBC Manitoba I-Team

Caroline began her career co-hosting an internet radio talk show in Toronto and then worked at various stations in Oshawa, Sudbury and Toronto before landing in Winnipeg in 2007. Since joining CBC Manitoba as a reporter in 2013, she won a Canadian Screen Award for best local reporter, and received a CAJ and RTDNA awards for her work with the investigative unit. Email: [email protected]

with files from Joanne Levasseur and Riley Laychuk