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Attention has been drawn to Launceston's General Manager's possible manipulation of Council agendas and minutes. IF its going on its not a very good look!
Down in Glenorchy the Mayor has called for the Director of Local Government to investigate a possible breach of the Local Government Act. She believed a vote was taken after she closed a special Glenorchy City Council meeting that was being asked to make decisions about major council changes. Apparently there was a report, commissioned by council administrators, and it had not been released to any of the council's aldermen. LINK TO THE STORY
The Victorian consulting firm CT Management Group, whose directors include former Victorian premier and council reformer Jeff Kennett. Apparently she adjourned the meeting, but it continued in her absence and its believed a vote was taken.
REALLY SHONKY STUFF but the Mayor is ACTING it seems! AND the Director of Local Govt. is looking in to it all it seems. It seems you need an Alderman/Mayor to ask before you get this kind of action. There's the rub!
Launceston's Mayor is famous for his deference to the General Manager typically claiming that the issue is "an operational matter". But even if that is so its his role to represent his constituency. This is really basic stuff. Council determines what is to be done and management gets on with it .... you would hope!
Launceston's General Manager typically invokes by inference SECTION 65 (GRAPHIC ABOVE) of the Local Govt. Act. But who reads that stuff in detail? Not the Aldermen it seems.
Apparently people who complain can be relied upon not to get down to detail and go with the flow as they have lives to live. In the same way, who has time to trawl through Council minutes and agendas? It seems not even the Mayor on his $100Kplus has neither the time, nor the inclination, and can apparently be relied upon not to rock the boat.
It seems that its time for a look at the General Manager's role relative to the Act. Anyone up for that? CLICK HERE TO SEE IT SPELT OUT Apparently if you ask the General Manager about his role he'll tell you all about his powers in no uncertain terms!
The sample snapped below from the Council minutes is typical. If you do not believe this assertion TEST IT! It has been said before here that the tail wags the dog at Town Hall but who is up for stopping it doing that? The Aldermen all on retainers haven't in the past and the question has to be asked, WHY?
The Victorian consulting firm CT Management Group, whose directors include former Victorian premier and council reformer Jeff Kennett. Apparently she adjourned the meeting, but it continued in her absence and its believed a vote was taken.
REALLY SHONKY STUFF but the Mayor is ACTING it seems! AND the Director of Local Govt. is looking in to it all it seems. It seems you need an Alderman/Mayor to ask before you get this kind of action. There's the rub!
Launceston's Mayor is famous for his deference to the General Manager typically claiming that the issue is "an operational matter". But even if that is so its his role to represent his constituency. This is really basic stuff. Council determines what is to be done and management gets on with it .... you would hope!
Launceston's General Manager typically invokes by inference SECTION 65 (GRAPHIC ABOVE) of the Local Govt. Act. But who reads that stuff in detail? Not the Aldermen it seems.
Apparently people who complain can be relied upon not to get down to detail and go with the flow as they have lives to live. In the same way, who has time to trawl through Council minutes and agendas? It seems not even the Mayor on his $100Kplus has neither the time, nor the inclination, and can apparently be relied upon not to rock the boat.
It seems that its time for a look at the General Manager's role relative to the Act. Anyone up for that? CLICK HERE TO SEE IT SPELT OUT Apparently if you ask the General Manager about his role he'll tell you all about his powers in no uncertain terms!
The sample snapped below from the Council minutes is typical. If you do not believe this assertion TEST IT! It has been said before here that the tail wags the dog at Town Hall but who is up for stopping it doing that? The Aldermen all on retainers haven't in the past and the question has to be asked, WHY?
This all looks like a job for the Deputy Mayor but has he got the bottle?
If you cannot see how shonky this minute is, well you are in need of help!
2 comments:
Can we afford to pay these lead swingers? No, no no I I think that should read over pay them.
Today of all days you would think that any elected representative will be watching events unravel.That's in Canberra, the state capitals and in local government.
Out there in voter land people want their representatives to represent them and deliver the services they want and need. They want them to be accountable, on the job and on the ball. Not handing decision making to functionaries.
Those who listen to the unrepresentative functionaries far too much and they let them actually hold the reins. They are taking us towards the slippery slope to irrelevance.
Local government is too far from the cut and thrust and is inclined to be mindlessly perpetrating blue murder.
The all in all out experiment hasn't delivered and in Tasmania there are too many politician and way too many self serving bureaucrats.
The government must step in and force amalgamations. Too many resources are being misused and a lot of local government representatives are there for the money, our money.
It is time to clip some wings and get back to service delivery.
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