Paul Mochrie leaves role as City Manager of Vancouver | Daily Hive

Paul Mochrie. (City of Vancouver)

The City of Vancouver will be on the hunt for a new chief bureaucrat to replace Paul Mochrie.

It was announced this afternoon that Mochrie will leave his pivotal role of City Manager, a position he first permanently took on in April 2021.

“Paul and I mutually agreed that it was the right time for a leadership change,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim in a statement.

“We thank Paul for his 14 years of dedicated service, including the last four as City Manager, and wish him nothing but success in the future.”

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Mochrie first began his role as City Manager in early 2021 on an interim basis, replacing Sadhu Johnston.

Karen Levitt, who became a deputy city manager in early 2020, is now the Acting City Manager, while the City seeks to fill the role permanently. Mochrie has agreed to assist with the transition.

The municipal government currently has two other deputy city managers — Armin Amrolia and Sandra Singh.

The City Manager of the City of Vancouver holds the most significant administrative role in the governance of the municipal government, effectively acting as the CEO responsible for the overall leadership and day-to-day coordination of City operations.

Appointed by the Mayor and Vancouver City Council, the City Manager provides strategic direction to all departments, ensures the effective implementation of City Council’s policies and priorities, and manages the municipal government’s multi-billion-dollar annual operating and capital budgets.

This role is critical in bridging the gap between elected officials and City staff, ensuring that decisions are translated into action efficiently and transparently. As the top non-elected official, the City Manager plays a key role in shaping Vancouver’s urban development, service delivery, and long-term planning, ultimately influencing the quality of life for residents and economic growth across sectors as varied as film production, tech, betting sites, hospitality, and international trade.

In 2024, according to the municipal government’s financial statements, Mochrie was the highest-paid individual among City staff, earning $387,110.

City of Vancouver leadership structure. (City of Vancouver)

Mochrie first joined the City in 2011, initially as its General Manager of Human Resources, Digital Strategy, and Information Technology. He later became the Deputy City Manager in 2015.

This marks the third major leadership change within Vancouver’s municipal government during the ABC Vancouver party’s term.

In 2023, Donnie Rosa departed from the role of General Manager of the Vancouver Park Board and was succeeded by Steve Jackson. Later that same year, Theresa O’Donnell abruptly stepped down as Director of Planning and General Manager of Planning, Urban Design, and Sustainability, with Josh White appointed in 2024 as her replacement.

The departures of Johnston and now Mochrie as City Manager represent perhaps the most significant breaks to date from the legacy of the former hold of the Vision Vancouver governing party and its lasting influence on the structure and leadership of the City.

When Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vision Vancouver took power in 2008, one of their first actions was to dismiss longtime City Manager Judy Rogers and appoint Penny Ballem, a former provincial deputy health minister closely aligned with their agenda.

Under Ballem’s leadership, the City experienced major staff turnover, with numerous senior officials departing or retiring amid a broader restructuring. These early changes reflected Vision Vancouver’s intent to reshape the City’s administrative leadership to align with its ambitious policy goals — an approach that largely continued during Kennedy Stewart’s term as mayor.

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