A DECISION to use a little known local government law to not publicly respond to a petition calling for the advertisement of the position of Warrnambool City Council’s chief executive officer has angered its creator.
Woolsthorpe’s David Thompson says the CEO has a conflict of interest in his choice to take the petition to a committee of the whole, instead of it following normal procedure as per the local act, in which a petition is usually considered by councillors after having been tabled at an earlier meeting.
CEO Bruce Anson was not at the meeting.
Former councillor and president of the newly-formed Warrnambool Ratepayers Association Brian Kelson asked what action the Warrnambool City Council had taken in regards to the petition, which was handed in on April 24, at Monday’s monthly council meeting.
Mr Anson responded, saying the council had considered the petition regarding the chief’s appointment process at a committee of the whole meeting, which is held behind closed doors. He said a reply had been sent to Mr Thompson late last week.Mr Kelson asked why the petition didn’t go to council to be laid on the table, and Mr Anson said the local law enabled personal matters to go to a committee of the whole.
Mr Kelson responded, saying the petition wasn’t to do with Mr Anson as a person as such, it was a petition for the council to consider for the position to be advertised.
“Your name wasn’t mentioned, only on the cover letter,” Mr Kelson said.
Mr Anson replied, saying: “My ruling was that it went to the committee of the whole and the council considered it and a response has been forwarded to Mr Thompson”.
Mr Thompson said the petition related to a vacancy in January next year, which is when Mr Anson’s contract expires. He said he had not received a letter from the CEO yet.
“It has nothing to do with the current CEO,” he said.
“We are asking the councillors to advertise the position. For them to try and say it’s a staffing matter is false. Our petition ticks all the boxes. It has nothing to do with current staffing.”