Hawkesbury City Council has selected its preferred candidate for the position of General Manager, but after more than six hours of deliberations the community is still waiting to learn who will lead the organisation.
Councillors convened at 3pm on Friday, August 7, for what became a marathon confidential session to consider the appointment of Hawkesbury City Council’s next General Manager.
It was not until about 9.15pm that councillors emerged from the in-camera meeting and returned to open session.
Council then announced that the Mayor had been authorised to negotiate the employment contract with the selected candidate.
However, no name was released.
After more than six hours of deliberation, residents were therefore left knowing that Council had chosen a preferred candidate, but not who that person was.
The appointment of a General Manager is one of the most important decisions made by a council.
The General Manager is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the organisation, implementation of Council decisions, management of hundreds of staff and oversight of a budget worth many millions of dollars.
The role also carries substantial influence over Council operations, major projects, governance, staffing and the delivery of services to residents.
For that reason, the recruitment process has attracted considerable community interest.
Friday’s meeting was expected to bring greater clarity about who would take over the top administrative position.
Instead, Council’s public announcement was limited to confirming that a candidate had been selected and that negotiations over the employment contract would now be undertaken by the Mayor.
The absence of a name may indicate that contract negotiations must be finalised before a formal appointment can be announced.
However, the lack of immediate disclosure is likely to prolong public speculation about who has been selected and when the successful candidate will take up the position.
The General Manager position has been under close scrutiny following the departure of former General Manager Elizabeth Richardson earlier this year and the subsequent appointment of an Interim General Manager.
Council has since undertaken a recruitment process to identify a permanent replacement.
The Gazette has previously reported community questions about the timing of the recruitment, the selection process and who would ultimately be appointed to one of the most senior and highly paid local government positions in the Hawkesbury.
Friday’s lengthy meeting indicates councillors gave substantial consideration to the appointment.
But after a meeting that began at 3pm and did not return to open session until about 9.15pm, one central question remains unanswered.
Who is Hawkesbury City Council’s preferred candidate for General Manager?
For now, residents will have to wait.
The Gazette has sought confirmation from Hawkesbury City Council on when the successful candidate’s name will be announced, when contract negotiations are expected to be completed and when the new General Manager is expected to commence duties.
