The man at the helm of the Town of Banff’s financial department is leaving the municipality after more than a decade in search of new adventures and opportunities in the United States.
Tom Maier, Banff’s corporate services manager, is heading to Asheville, North Carolina, where his veterinarian wife Kathy Keil has accepted a transfer with a pharmaceutical company.
After 11-and-a-half years at Banff Town Hall, Maier’s final day is Friday, Jan. 28. His replacement is Kelly Gibson, the municipality’s current senior accountant.
“It’s sad leaving because I love the Bow Valley and I consider this my home. I also love working for the Town of Banff; it’s a great organization,” said Maier.
“I’m leaving great friends here in the valley and friends in the Town of Banff, but it’s time for something new, something different, and for more challenges.”
Maier began his career with the Town of Banff in 1999 as a senior accountant, but following the 2001 death of Ted Langridge, he was promoted to the top corporate services position.
He plans on taking some courses to get up to speed on U.S. corporate and personal taxes in the hope of getting work in North Carolina, perhaps with a municipality there.
But first, Maier, who is known as a gifted athlete, will take time for himself in the months ahead, particularly given his work papers for the U.S. won’t be completed until September.
He’s taking a trip to Australia with his mother, and plans to compete in two Ironman competitions in the U.S. He will also compete in the annual two-day Canadian Ski Marathon in Quebec in February, an event spanning 160 kilometres, from Gatineau to Lachute.
Asheville, the place he will now call home, is also an extremely outdoors-oriented community in the Blue Ridge Mountains, popular for mountain biking and big whitewater.
“I’m going to have fun. I’m going to enjoy my time off,” said Maier.
Robert Earl, Banff’s town manager, said Maier’s departure is a huge loss to the Town, adding that he was always forward thinking and considered a leader in municipal financing and planning.
“When I came to town, having Tom in the position he was in just instilled huge confidence in me in terms of the financial capacities of the Town,” said Earl.
“He’s an individual that I personally admire and that I’m going to miss greatly.”
Maier said there have been many challenges through the years, but he is perhaps most proud of the fact that Banff is in a very strong financial position and has a solid financial plan.
“So many people blast municipal government, but financially we’re very secure and stable and strong and in good hands with the team we’ve had and heading into the future,” he said.
One of the debates during Maier’s time at Town Hall centred around the apparent shift away from the municipality’s historical stance of not taking on any debt. At present, Banff’s debt sits at $17.2 million.
But Maier said that was a good move, noting there were some smart decisions that took advantage of low interest rates and grant funding.
“We have very low debt. We do have some debt, but it’s smart debt and it’s debt that’s taken advantage of situations like grants and low interest rates,” he said.
“For example, we have the Rec Centre redevelopment and Banff Refreshing and these are great opportunities and legacy projects for this community. Twenty or 30 years from now, we’ll be looking back at those projects and we won’t have any regrets.”
The Town of Banff has also considered the needs of the community in all manner of times, said Maier, noting the municipality has a tax rate that is not considered excessive.
“We’ve maintained very reasonable budgets in the last 11 years, where increases haven’t been any higher than inflation typically.”
While Maier leaves behind some big shoes to fill, there is great confidence within Town Hall that Gibson is more than up to the job.
Earl said Gibson has been actively involved in the budget process for a number of years and has a great understanding of the day-to-day operations of the town.
“We’re very lucky to have had Kelly Gibson working under Tom’s guidance over a number of years, “ he said.
“He was in the capacity to step up when Tom made his decision to leave and we’re lucky to have him.”
