Eleven senior Council staff could earn more than $175,000 a year each under a new organisational structure for the newly amalgamated Armidale Regional Council.
A two month independent audit of Council’s structure delivered a recommendation for three tiers of senior management.
Under the system, all three levels could be classified as “senior staff” and as such, subject to fixed-term performance based contracts.
The new structure is designed to save Council money and the option adopted at last month’s Council meeting offered the greatest savings.
But it also puts significant responsibility on tier three staff, increasing the size and scope of their jobs.
Council’s administrator Ian Tiley said it was important managers were accountable and produced results.
“I am aware that the performance management of senior staff in the past has not been sufficiently effective,” he said in his report.
Applications for the new tier one position of chief executive closed on Monday.
Tier two will likely have two ‘group leaders’, formally directors, under the new system.
Their jobs will be focused on strategy, leadership, culture and performance.
And eight ‘service leader’ positions make up the final management positions in the third tier.
Dr Tiley said Council would fill the positions from the top.
“It’s vital that we get the new chief executive in first so he is part of the recruitment process for the ‘group leader’ and ‘service leader’ positions,” he said.
Chief executive applicants will be shortlisted on Monday and interviewed on November 26.
Local Representation Advisory Committee member Hans Hietbrink, UNE’s deputy vice chancellor Sue Thomas, former local government review panel member Glenn Inglis, and the administrator will conduct the interviews.
Existing staff are able to apply for all Council positions.
And the consultant’s paper has outlined a potential fourth level structure where it says existing staff could be allocated.
Council is currently consulting with the unions and staff on the proposal.
