AT TOWN HALL THE TAIL WAGETH THE DOG YET AGAIN

THE EXAMINER. Council names temporary CEO to succeed outgoing Stretton By Joe Colbrook.  Updated January 27 2024

 Launceston councillors have formally appointed an interim chief executive officer - picked out by the city's executive - to fill the top-level vacancy while a nationwide talent search continues.

All but one councillor endorsed the motion to appoint Shane Eberhardt as the City of Launceston council's acting chief executive officer.

Having served in the role between November 20, 2023 and January 1, 2024 Mr Eberhardt will step in to the role again from February 3, after Michael Stretton leaves for the top job at Hobart City Council.

Councillor Tim Walker said he was happy to support the appointment, however he had questions around who had recommended Mr Eberhardt for the role.

"The relevant legislation ... does provide different pathways in order to do that," Cr Walker said.

"That might be something that a councillor could question as to what is the appropriate pathway in this instance.

"Is this the mayor's recommendation?

"Or is this another pathway in terms of how that recommendation comes into existence?"

Mayor Matthew Garwood said he was also interested in that particular question, whether Mr Eberhardt's nomination was coming from the office of the mayor or the chief executive.

Under legislation, the mayor can only directly appoint an acting chief executive officer if the incumbent person was absent and nobody had been otherwise appointed to the role.

Mr Stretton said the matter had been discussed by the council's executive leadership team, and Mr Eberhardt was put forward as the candidate who was "best qualified for the role".

The single dissenting vote was cast by Joe Pentridge, who said he felt councillors had been left out of the decision-making process.

He said he was also concerned about the amount of powers the council had delegated to the chief executive officer, and whether they should be transferred to the new appointee.

The mayor said councillors were making the decision, based on officers' recommendation.

Cr Garwood said the matter of delegated authority could be considered at another time and through another process, rather than in the debate about appointing the acting chief executive officer.

Mr Stretton announced he would leave the City of Launceston council late 2023, having worked there since 2017.

His departure came one year after a unanimous vote by councillors in October 2022, which extended his contract to 2026.

External agency LG Services Group has been contracted to hire the new chief executive, with the cost to ratepayers due to be finalised after a candidate is found.

Cr Garwood previously said the use of external consultants was best practise, and strongly recommended by the state's Auditor General after a review of council hiring procedures. 

COMMENT: It is well past the time when those who are represented by 12 Councillors stop looking away as they abdicate and continue to collect their stipends. The authorities that Councillors delegate to management is inappropriate and unacceptable.

Moreover, executive management is assumed to be in possession of more experience, expertise and skills than they demonstrate and somehow they find themselves beyond criticism and critique. So budgets are overrun, projects lose money big time and opportunities are lost. The evidence is there if we are allowed to flush it out.

Here, Council needs to clear the decks for whoever is appointed as GM/CEO and the incumbency is highly unlikely to do that. If looked for there are many competent people who would/could serve Launcestonians well in an interim role unburdened by previous executive management failures, lack of accountability and predisposition to obfuscate.

As is sometimes said ... If you want something you have never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done. Let that be start all over again with a clean sheet!