By Pepper Parr
June 27th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
The CEO is leaving the city.
Hassan Basit – leaving City as the CEO – joining the provincial government as a senior civil servant.
It comes as no surprise.
I’ve known Hassan for a long time. First met him when he was doing communications for Conservation Halton. Had long conversations with him when he decided to go after the top job with Conservation.
They made the right decision and hired him as the top dog.
He made huge changes at CH.
I was surprised when he decided to go after the job of CEO for the City. Hassaan and Marianne Meed Ward – I personally didn’t see that as a great fit.
Hassaan didn’t have much in the way of municipal-level experience, but he did bring some new ideas to the job and made the best of what he had in the way of senior-level talent.
He has been hired as the Chief Conservation Executive for the province. In the fullness of time Hassaan Basit could well become a Deputy Minister in the provincial government.
Good luck to him
Vacation will have to wait – the Mayor needs a new CEO
City Council now has the task of finding someone to steer the ship during what is going to be a tough time.
There are two people who could serve as an Interim CEO – Scott Hamilton is probably the best choice. Curt Benson is worth a close look.
Hassaan had no term plans for being a player at the municipal level.
The city now has a problem.
I thought his title was CAO and MMW as mayor was technically the CEO. Regardless, what was the exit clause in his contract? This will cost the city a fair amount to find a new puppet…oops I mean yes person. I am happy to keep the lights on for everyone for a modest 200k plus bonuses of course.
The question that comes to mind is WHY?
Is City Hall so toxic that people use it as a stepping stone to other positions?
It would be interesting to know how many competent city employees left or were fired since the municipal election in 2018?
The quiet departure of Basit, the now -“former” (lmao) CEO of the City of Burlington – might go unnoticed by some—but for those of us paying attention, it signals something far deeper and far more troubling: a city administration mired in mediocrity, marinated in apathy, and completely out of touch with the people it was elected or appointed to serve.
Let’s be clear—Basit’s legacy is not one of innovation or impact, but of glossy presentations and hollow words. His exit does not close a chapter; it simply reveals the stagnation that continues to fester within City Hall. The problem isn’t one individual—it’s the pervasive culture of weak leadership, bureaucratic indifference, and a stunning lack of accountability that infects the entire senior administration.
Residents see what’s happening—out-of-control spending, decaying infrastructure, gridlocked traffic that worsens by the week, irresponsible, relentless high-rise development everywhere in the city that threatens the very character and livability of our municipality …. the growing disconnect between residents and their so-called representatives. We see it because we live with it every single day. Meanwhile, council and the mayor seem oblivious or simply uninterested—locked in their echo chambers while the city’s planning spirals out of control.
They don’t listen. They don’t act. And when they do, it’s often with arrogance and ineptitude.
Basit’s exit is not a solution—it’s a symptom. And until there is a complete reckoning inside Burlington City Hall, we will continue to suffer the consequences of a government that is, at its core, unresponsive, unaware, and unfit for the responsibilities it carries.
Replacing Basit might be a starting point for “doing better” — “do better” because the people of Burlington deserve leadership that’s grounded in action, not optics.
And to the mayor specifically: you wanted the spotlight—now try leading like someone who’s earned it.
I respectfully submit that before one can decree that his tenure at Halton Conservation was as success, quantitative as well as qualitative evidence to support that evaluation would be appropriate.
It would appear that Mr Basit in 2024, according to the sunshine list, earned $110,801 from Conservation Halton and $265.632 from the City of Burlington. 2024 was a good year for Mr Basit. The more significant question is what true value for money did taxpayers earn from their dollars.
Where did that masked man go?! Hi Ho 30 pieces of silver, and away! Honestly,
he’s barely been here a year. He came in the Spring of 24; he introduced a
massive reorganization in August (now in total confusion), he oversaw one
contentious Strong Mayor Budget exercise supporting the Meed Ward blended tax libretto; he advanced the unproven vision of a future digital services strategy
built on massive Information technology investments and he travelled (but didn’t
everyone). Now he has abandoned fortress Burlington for one of Michelle Di
Emanuele’s boutique Deputy positions, this one carefully handcrafted by ‘she
who must not be named’ to put lovely blue lipstick on the castrated pig of the
Premier’s conservation policy. They all deserve each other.
Burlington may be in trouble. But really no more than it’s been in for some time
now with weak administrations and form over substance councils.