I was pleased that the recent resolution proposed by Cr Rick Curach (and only supported by Cr Catherine Stewart) that the new CEO be empowered to reduce Council expenditure by $3 million was defeated as it remains entirely inappropriate for the CEO to be placed in this position.
I remain confident that the new CEO will undertake a thorough review of all areas of Council expenditure, in order to see where possible savings can be made, it is however NOT up to the CEO to slash services, provided to ratepayers as this is the domain of the councillors who are elected every 3 years to run the city and make these decisions.
Had Cr Curach's resolution been passed and the council, through the CEO, had to follow the councillors instruction and make immediate savings of $3 million the problem is, WHERE would the CEO and staff decide where those required savings would be made?
Imagine if in order to fulfil this requirement that the CEO, and staff, decided to close the swimming pools, or the neighbourhood parks or community centres or not undertake maintenance on roads or reduce maintenance of sports grounds and reserves or cut storm water protection measures etc etc the community would be in an uproar and quite rightfully so.
The information for the Annual Plan would have been provided to all councillors, prior to last Christmas, and in order for these two councillors to achieve their desired goals they could have done the research, spoken to staff and gained the support of the community and other councillors...... but then of course that would have involved hard work.
Mike Baker, Bethlehem.