Former Lake of Bays CAO Don Chevalier will be returning to his post at the municipality following the resignation of Dawn Halcrow.

Halcrow took over the reins at the municipality from Chevalier, who had served as treasurer/administrator for approximately 12 years, in June of 2006, but resigned less than a year into her mandate.

The municipality has been without a CAO for about five months, but last week Lake of Bays mayor Janet Peake confirmed Chevalier would be returning.

“We had a large number of responses and at the end of the day the most capable person to put in an application was Don Chevalier,” she said.

Peake said that while the fact that Chevalier knows the municipal staff and the area is helpful, his skills set is what helped drive council’s final decision.

Peake referred to any dissatisfaction Chevalier may have felt when he left the municipality in 2006 as “past history.”

She said the finance department at the township has undergone some restructuring and indicated the duties and responsibilities of the position have since changed.

“There is more support for the treasurer’s position than we’ve had before,” she said, adding council’s “mix” has also changed.

She said the municipality received 18 applications including submissions from the Haliburton area.

Chevalier is currently on contract with the District Municipality of Muskoka.