By Laura Michell
A state MP is calling for the councillors responsible for the “hiring and firing” of Whittlesea council chief executives in recent years to stand down at the next election.
Yan Yean MP Danielle Green raised concerns about the number of people who have been appointed to the role of council chief executive in the past three-and-a-half years.
Acting chief executive Kelvin Spiller is the fourth person to hold the role since 2016.
Long-term chief executive David Turnbull was replaced by former CFA chief executive Michael Wootten in April 2016. Mr Wootten’s contract with council was terminated in March 2017.
Chief executive Simon Overland was appointed in July 2017, but announced he was taking indefinite leave from the council on November 20, citing health and safety concerns.
He has blamed the behaviour of some councillors for his decision to take leave.
Mr Spiller was appointed acting chief executive on November 23.
Ms Green said the number of changes at the top was a sign of a “very sick organisation”.
“Each CEO that has been moved on has been moved on by those that appointed them. The time for councillors throwing their weight around has got to end,” she said.
“I call on those responsible for the hiring and firing to rule themselves out of running for council again in October [2020] … they have shown themselves singularly unable to run the City of Whittlesea.”
Ms Green has twice raised concerns about the council in Parliament. In March 2017, she asked the Local Government Minister to intervene amid concerns about a “culture of bullying and abuse of councillor power”.
Last month, she said the council had become a “toxic workplace”.
Speaking to Star Weekly last week, Ms Green said she had been told a number of senior council officers were also on stress leave.
“Four CEOs in three-and-a-half years is the sign of an incredibly dysfunctional council. The ratepayers and the residents deserve better,” she said.
Ms Green has raised her concerns with the Australian Services Union and plans to speak with the Local Government Inspectorate.
“I have witnessed extremely poor behaviour from councillors and I will be reporting that to the Local Government Inspectorate. I should have done so in the past … it’s got to stop,” she said.
“[The inspectorate] needs to … take a very close look at what is going on.”
