Former Shire Council vehicles are not the only part of Hilltops Council Regime to undergo a dramatic transformation. General Manager Anthony McMahon is now being paid a salary akin to General Managers in Sydney.
How many of our residents have read a Hilltops Council business paper? How many actually have any idea of how the new Council is performing? How many know how much the people appointed to run the new Council are paid? How many of your rate paying dollars go to paying the two people appointed by Paul Toole and Mike Baird to run the new Hilltops Council. The answer is $452,900.
The Twin Town Times has already touched on the remuneration package set for Administrator Wendy Tuckerman earlier this year. The figure is $180,000 per annum. The former Mayor of Harden Shire was paid $22,000 a year on top of the Councillor fee of $10,400. This figure was set by elected representatives and equates to $32,400 to be the face of Council. It is $623 a week or $124.60 each day based on a 5 day working week. Tuckerman’s role as administrator is to perform the decision making powers normally in the hand of elected representatives. It is also to promote the Council in a positive light. Her role includes formulating the remuneration package of the General Manager. At $180,000 a year it now seems Tuckerman is being paid nearly twice what Harden, Young and Boorowa Mayors would have been paid if the 3 remuneration salaries were combined for their mayoral roles.
The Hilltops Council no longer pays 3 General Managers. It pays one. There is a considerable saving based on the fact the role has been merged from 3 to 1. There were 2 General Managers the New South Wales Government could have chosen who have knowledge of the local area. Young’s former General Manager Peter Vlatko excluded himself from being chosen when he resigned on September 30 in 2015. He stepped down citing personal reasons and both he and the former Young Shire Councillors were bound by a non-disclosure agreement as set out in his resignation agreement. The other 2 include Former Harden Shire General Manager Trevor Drowley and former Boorowa Shire General Manager Anthony McMahon. Drowley has over 43 years of experience in local government and had overseen mergers before. He was not appointed to the role which leaves the General Manager of Boorowa Shire Council. McMahon had only spent 2 years and 9 months in the role of General Manager at Boorowa, the smaller Shire of the 3 before the Government appointed him to the role of Hilltops General Manager. The position was not advertised to other possible candidates some of whom could have come from anywhere in New South Wales or Australia. McMahon has now received a considerable remuneration package which when compared to City Councils with larger populations, more staff and more expensive infrastructure to manage, is a lot of money.
The Hilltops Council package of $272,900 for McMahon is $5,248 a week or $1049 each working day of the week. Tuckerman approved the salary for him at the August 24 meeting. 2015 figures state the following salaries of city General Managers: David Backhouse – Strathfield Council population 35,188 people. Salary of $273,988. Ron Moore – Camden Council population 56,720. Salary of $272,979. Peter Jackson – Hawkesbury Council population of 62,485 people. Salary of $266,501. Michael McMahon – Burwood Council population of 36,139 people. Salary of $246,697. Mark Brisby – Auburn Council population of 76,519 people. Salary of $233,701. Vanessa Chan – Ashfield Council population 44,450. Salary of $224,375. Barry Smith – Hunter’s Hill Council population 13,215 people. Salary of $216,570 The Hilltops Council has a population of 19,000 people.
According to the minutes It was resolved by Tuckerman “That the General Manager’s total remuneration be $272,900 as recommended by the independent review (as tabled) and that the Administrator in consultation with General Manager, implement a Performance Agreement pursuant to the increased role and responsibilities.” Unfortunatley, the independent review was not included in the minutes as stated. A phone survey was recently conducted where residents of the former Harden Shire Council were asked what they thought of the Hilltops Council performance. The Twin Town Times were advised by many of the residents who were phoned that they responded with dissatisfaction. One lady stating “How can we judge them on anything we don’t know what they are doing.” she made sure to tell the caller that she was completely unhappy with the whole merger fiasco.
