Councillors unite in call for debate over absent boss
TWENTY-TWO councillors from seven political groups have demanded an emergency meeting over the absence of their authority's top officer.
The Stoke-on-Trent City Council members have formally requested a full council meeting.
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Chris Harman
The request, which was drawn up by Potteries Alliance leader councillor Peter Kent-Baguley, pictured, and Non-Aligned Group spokesman councillor Mick Salih, was handed to officers yesterday.
The pair have submitted motions registering members' dissatisfaction over the continuing absence of interim chief executive Chris Harman and concerns about up to 430 possible redundancies at the authority in the coming weeks.
Mr Harman has been on sick leave since September 30, when the council's human resources committee picked Torridge District Council chief John van de Laarschot for the £195,000-a-year chief executive's post.
Mr Harman is now understood to be in talks to secure a pay-off to leave his job without working his three-month notice period.
Meanwhile, he is still being paid about £3,000 a week while on sick leave.
Mr Kent-Baguley said he wants all councillors to have the chance to discuss the matter openly and make their feelings known.
He said: "I approached members who were in the Civic Centre, and of the 30 or so who were around, 21 agreed to sign the form, plus myself.
"It is interesting that members of the Labour, Lib-Dem and Conservative and Independent Alliance groups put their names down.
"I think it is illustrative of the disquiet at the way the leadership is running things."
He added: "Forms have been submitted and the executive has seven days to consider our request."
Mr Salih said councillors are pressing for the special meeting because they fear they will be held publicly accountable for any decision to reach a financial settlement with Mr Harman.
He said: "People in my ward ask me what I'm doing about Chris Harman. People are angry at the idea that he could be given a pay-off.
He added: "It has been reported that 'the council' has done this or that, when in fact the council has had no say whatsoever in whether the human resources committee agree to pay the interim chief executive off."
But council leader Ross Irving said he does not see the point in holding a special council meeting to discuss a confidential legal matter.
He said: "I think a special meeting would be premature, as the information is in the private domain.
"The human resources committee is meeting next week and hopefully the matter will have been resolved by that time."
2 Comments
by exserviceman, Talke
Friday, October 23 2009, 6:14PM
“Mr Salih : "Forms have been submitted and the executive has seven days to consider our request." . I have to ask who is in charge when the elected representatives have to ask the people we employ if they can have a meeting. Perhaps someone could explain to me where this fits into the understanding of Democracy I have always had
Democracy...Government of the people by the people. Isn't this exactly the same situation as we now have with the European Union?”
by Fleeced Council Tax Payer, City of Stoke-on-Trent
Friday, October 23 2009, 1:21PM
“Mr Harman has probably already received his pay-off.
I bet he negotiated his pay-off as a contingency in the event of not getting the £195k top job.
He will also have been obliged to sign a confidentiality agreement, thereby negating any fredom of information request by elected councillors or the beleagured council tax payer.
If he has not reached a settlement on the remainder his fixed term 3 yr contract of £157k pa, then he's going for VR.
If he is going for VR, then he has abused his position as Interim CEO, as he must have been aware of the current round of VR, on his exit 3 weeks ago.
If accepted for VR, the estimated pay-off would be in the region of
£25k redundancy
£10k retirement grant
£ 7k pension
Not bad for 2-3 years service.
Not when his old mate at Cheshire West will find him another job on the gravy train called Local Government.
All aboard!
Next stop, Chester!”