Monitor Required for Warrnambool City Council
Western Victoria MP Bev McArthur has described the dismissal of Warrnambool City Council CEO, Peter Schneider as very disturbing and that “It appears to be unjustified and a serious blight on Warrnambool’s reputation.”
Mrs McArthur said she had been contacted by many concerned Warrnambool residents about this matter, and she believes a solution must be found which is not tainted by the bias of any individual, or group of individuals.
The CEO was dismissed on Monday night behind closed doors, with the four councillors who defeated the other three in the vote at the special council meeting refusing to give any reason for their actions.
Mrs McArthur said, “Clearly the CEO has been mistreated. The best interests of the Warrnambool community and the city’s reputation should always come before any personal vendettas or petty power struggles of individual staff or councillors.”
“To unilaterally terminate the CEO’s employment without detailed reason, having just unanimously approved his regular performance review and KPIs with a pay rise, seems to be at odds with any vestige of fairness or good business practice.”
“There have been issues of culture and competence in the Warrnambool City Council and City Hall for a number of years, well before Mr Schneider’s appointment to the CEO role. He clearly inherited a situation in need of change and reform. For some, this often proves difficult to accept.”
Mrs. McArthur also questions the appointment of Acting CEO Vikki King and now wonders why someone from within was appointed so quickly by the four who voted to sack the CEO. Mrs McArthur suggests that in the interests of transparency and good governance, an experienced “outsider” appointment recommended by Local Government Victoria, would have given the community a little more confidence about the process.
Mrs McArthur said “This just creates further doubt and more questions for the community about what is really going on.”
“It is also extraordinary that this decision has been taken in the middle of an international pandemic crisis, with three months to go before Council elections and when some staff contracts might have been due for renewal.”
“In light of the dysfunction in City Hall and the consternation of the community with Monday's decision, as well as the professional damage to the city's reputation, the only realistic course of action to achieve a long term solution is for the entire Council to stand down, or be stood down, so that an independent monitor can be immediately appointed from outside the area.”
“I am aware that Councillors Sycopoulis, Anderson and Mayor Herbert would endorse this action along with the immediate appointment of a monitor to take charge and clear the air prior to Council elections in October.”
17 July 2020