Alain Muise

Alain Muise is a municipal leader who oversees operations with a focus on fiscal planning, service delivery and long-term community development. At the Municipality of the District of Argyle, he combines strategic planning and resource management to support informed service choices.

Municipal Administration with a Community Focus

Muise serves approximately 8,000 residents, overseeing about 24 staff responsible for core municipal operations, including policing, solid waste, sewage and other services.

At the center of these responsibilities, Muise functions as the link between council and staff, translating council priorities into day-to-day operations while ensuring the municipality has the resources to deliver services effectively. As he describes it, council works on the business, while he works in the business, executing the direction established for the community. His background as a chartered professional accountant further supports fiscal planning across operational and capital needs.

Driving Sustainable Local Growth

Muise sees strategic planning as a foundation in shaping Argyle’s future. Its vision of being a place of choice to invest, live and play guides efforts to create meaningful employment and safe, comfortable living. However, municipal leaders must build the plane and fly the plane at the same time, balancing evolving community needs with ongoing service delivery and fiscal constraints.

Muise engages residents, nonprofit organizations, fire departments and others working on the ground to understand changing needs and assess whether services are meeting them. This community input helps the municipality make choices about what can be added while ensuring existing services remain sustainable.

For Argyle, that means turning local assets into opportunities for resilience. While municipalities are not directly responsible for economic development, Muise sees their role as helping businesses navigate processes and emerging opportunities.

That approach is reflected in Argyle’s efforts to diversify its marine economy beyond lobster fishing. Working with the province, the municipality has helped make oyster and marine plant aquaculture more accessible by reducing application barriers that could otherwise discourage younger residents from entering the sector.

Looking ahead, Argyle is also assessing other assets, including wind energy and lithium, with renewable energy offering potential alternative revenue, while other resources could support high-quality employment.

Developing People and Smarter Operations

Muise sees culture and values as the foundation of high-quality municipal work. Argyle uses individualized training plans for roles including property inspection, recreation and finance, supported by cross-training, succession planning, mentoring and coaching. In a rural community where attracting talent can take time, developing existing staff is critical because turnover can be particularly costly.

Accountability remains central to public service, but Muise also emphasizes teamwork and resilience. He believes employees must take emotion out of decision-making while maintaining a culture of service, professionalism, humor and mutual support when challenges arise.

For Muise, that means finding smarter ways to work, whether by using AI to expedite policy reviews or drawing on regional, provincial and national resources rather than starting from scratch. Dedicated staff also pursue grants and other external funding while keeping projects shovel-ready, helping reduce the financial burden on residents.

Advice for Emerging Municipal Leaders

Muise’s advice to new CAOs is grounded in servant leadership. Being good at a previous role does not automatically mean being effective at managing people. He emphasizes that CAOs are responsible for ensuring that the people doing the work have the protection, guidance, teaching and mentorship they need to succeed.

He stresses passion, perseverance and perspiration, alongside an egoless commitment to service. For Muise, the CAO should be the last person on the ladder, focused not on personal credit or advancement but on enabling the people and community ahead of them to succeed.