Hilltops Council Administrator Wendy Tuckerman has nominated herself for a position in the Hilltops Council election set for September 9, whilst still holding her position as Hilltops Administrator. Something which will no doubt bring the ire of the opposition Labor Party.
Tuckerman will preside over her final meeting as Hilltops Administrator on Wednesday night, August 9, where she will have several topics to provide resolutions for.
The first topic is a modification that Council, approve Modification Application DA009/2017 MOD 1 on Lot 1 DP327058 and Lot 74 DP2493, ‘Boorowa Showground’ Ballyryan Road, Boorowa for a community facility (Boorowa Men’s Den),
The second item is in regards to the dismantling of the Grandstand at Cranfield Oval in Young.
Council will then enter in to Closed Council where 3 items will be discussed of a confidential nature. They are all slated as ‘Commercial Matters.’
The Times has contacted Hilltops Interim General Manager Anthony McMahon and requested the following information.
“Can you please detail when your current contract as Interim General Manager of Hilltops Council ceases. Can you please comment If you have been involved in discussions with the outgoing Administrator Wendy Tuckerman, regarding extending your contract as General Manager of Hilltops Council.”
We are awaiting a response to the question.
Mr McMahon’s future remains uncertain at this stage, however, the future of the Cootamundra-Gundagai General Manager doesn’t. Allan Dwyer has just had his contract extended to December 31 2019 by Administrator Stephen Sykes.
The decision robbing the soon to be newly democratically elected Council of the ability to open up the process to potential General Managers nation-wide. The new Council can sack Dwyer, however, they may risk having to pay him out for a contract which they had no control over.
Dwyer was brought in to the role after the Cootamundra-Gundagai Administrator sacked former Interim General Manager Ken Trethewey. Rate payers are picking up the bill for the remainder of his contract, set at over $270,000 per annum.
MidCoast Council General Manager Glenn Handford had ‘Interim’ removed from his title last week with Administrator John Turner extending his contract until 2021. 4 years after the new Council is elected. Handford told the Manning River Times “All they have to do is pay me out.”
The former Baird government gave 8 former delegates who presided over reports to the Premier, green lighting Council mergers, paid roles as Administrators.
They were John Turner (Mid-Coast Council) Ian Reynolds (Central Coast) Amanda Chadwick who presided over the Hilltops merger meetings to (City of Parramatta Council) Richard Pearson (Inner West Council) Ian Tiley (Armidale Regional Council) Richard Colley (Canterbury-Bankstown Council) Mike Eden (Federation Council) John Rayner (Georges River)
The Inner West Council spent $9.4 million dollars on an Information Technology contract with TechnologyOne and did not seek tenders from other companies.
TechnologyOne has recently been involved in a bitter contract dispute with Brisbane City Council over a $60 million dollar contract.
Hilltops Council have also recently appointed TechnologyOne as the supplier of their IT system.
The final cost of the figure has not been released by Hilltops Council.
The Labor opposition party has flagged that they would refer any Administrators to ICAC who ran for Council in the upcoming Council elections.
Shadow Minister for Local Government Peter Primrose said “These people have been put in as Administrators with millions of dollars which no one else has access to,”
“They are able to go to all the various community groups and allocate that money at their will … no one else has got that ability.”
“I will certainly be referring it to the ICAC [Independent Commissioner Against Corruption] and asking for their advice and their deliberations if it’s occurring.”
“These administrators have been paid substantial salaries by ratepayers, and exercised the full power of the council,”
“Given the public resources and insider information available to the administrators when compared to other candidates, their government appointment would give them a grossly undemocratic and unfair advantage.”
