Brandon city manager retires as RCMP investigate death of woman living in his home

WINNIPEG -- Brandon’s city manager has retired amid an RCMP investigation into the death of a woman who was living in his home last July.

According to a news release, Rod Sage and the City of Brandon “mutually agreed to separate,” as Sage met the retirement eligibility. He began to work for the city in 1987 and worked various roles until becoming city manager in November 2017.

Dean Hammond has been serving as the acting city manager and will continue to do so at this time.

“Council will continue to ensure our operations are handled in a seamless manner and that services our residents rely on are delivered on a responsive, effective basis. We will commence a process to secure our new City Manager in a timely manner,” said Mayor Rick Chrest.

Brandon city council put Sage on paid leave in October 2019, but did not give a reason. The leave was initially supposed to last for six weeks, but was extended.

In October, the attorney general asked RCMP to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Christine Mitchell, who died in July while living in Sage’s home. According to Brandon police, she died in hospital of a suspected drug overdose.

-With files from CTV’s Danton Unger