Highland Council 'pauses' recruitment for new depute chief executive after objections from councillors
The recruitment of a new depute chief executive for Highland Council has been paused after objections from councillors.
Fresh from criticism of the almost £1000 a day paid to the executive chief officer for education, elected members on the council's corporate resources committee raised questions over proceeding with a further appointment attracting an annual salary of £122,812.
Chairman Alister Mackinnon was initially reluctant to address the matter but agreed to allow a vote to go ahead, which agreed to pause the appointment process.
It will now be discussed at the next full council meeting, on September 10.
A review will also be launched to look at whether a restructuring of the council's senior management is being delivered according to its original aims.
Members were angered at the way many of them had found out about the recruitment process – through colleagues rather than formally through the administration or the chief executive’s office.
Although the council had previously tried to fill the post last year before pausing after failing to find a suitable candidate councillors suggested the job title and duties had also changed in the interim.
Councillor Duncan Macpherson said: "My recollection is that we had this 'chief operating officer' – there was never a mention since former deputy chief executive Derek Yule left Highland Council that we were to have a deputy or assistant chief executive.
"I am alarmed that as an elected representative I hadn't been consulted at all and the first I knew that we would be appointing someone to this new position was when I received an email after the fact."
Related article: Highland Council advertises for new senior officers
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