The councillors who are elected on September 14 will find their performance will be monitored by the State Government, with 16 strict new conditions to be imposed on them.
The MInister for Local Government Ron Hoenig is proposing to implement a Performance Improvement Order on the new council, which is currently under administration.
The PIO would stop them being able to change the CEO or to restructure the council or change its code of conduct unless the Office of Local Government agreed.
It must implement the recommendations from the Public Inquiry; it must get approval from its audit risk and improvement committee for any changes in its priorities; and it must publicly disclose the impacts of any changes to its long term financial plan.
Decisions can not adversely impact its financial metrics as measured through the Office of Local Government’s financial indicators.
Administrator Rik Hart welcomes the PIO and has called an extraordinary meeting for Friday, September 6, to formally “note” the intention.
“Council welcomes your intention to issue a PIO, setting clear expectations for the incoming Council,” he said in a reply to Hoenig.
“We concur with your view that the PIO will serve the purpose of ensuring that the good work undertaken over the last four years is not lost in the transition to an elected Council.
“It will be very important that incoming councillors are able to represent their constituents effectively and can do so without adversely impacting the position of the Council now, or into the future.”
Mr Hoenig has invited council to make submissions to him within seven days before he makes a final decision on whether to impose the PIO.
He said it was not a critique of the administrator’s work but to “ensure the process of improvement he had created would continue”.
He suggested Council table the notice in an open meeting and provide him with its resolution from the meeting.
The Minister’s reasons for the proposed order are:
• Council needs to keep its budget discipline and maintain its financial sustainability,
- Council needs to ensure it maintains access to appropriate staff expertise and engagement to provide secure advice to the councillors on financial, governance and regulatory matters,
- Council should only be changing strategic priorities with clear understanding of costs and have supporting strategies to ensure that Council doesn’t fund initiatives through either debt or inappropriate access of restricted funds, and
- Council needs to continue to deliver and implement the changes required as part of the McCulloch Public Inquiry which handed down its recommendation in March 2022.
A total of 77 candidates are standing for election.
