City council has appointed Walter Babicz as the new city manager.
Babicz had served as the acting city manager for the past nine months, since the departure of former city manager Kathleen Soltis. Babicz previously served as the city’s general manager of administrative services.
“On behalf of council, I wish to congratulate Mr. Babicz on his selection for the critical role of city manager, and to thank him for his many years of excellent service to the City of Prince George as the corporate officer and as a senior administrator,” Mayor Lyn Hall said in a press release. “The fact that council selected Walt as city manager, council’s sole employee, speaks to the respect we all have for his years of service and the appreciation we have for his performance as acting city manager over the past nine months.”
The city manager is the top administrator of the city’s operations, overseeing 750 staff and an annual budget of $185 million.
Babicz was raised in Fraser Lake. He graduated from the University of Victoria’s law school, and has lived in Prince George since 1995. He practised law with a private firm until 2008, when he became the city’s manager of legislative services.
“I’m honoured and excited to be selected as the new city manager and to be continuing to serve the community that I care so deeply about,” Babicz said in a press release. “I look forward to working collaboratively with council, city staff, and the community.”
