Waitaki District Council Appoints CEO

The Waitaki District Council has unanimously decided to reappoint its current CEO, Michael Ross, for a further five year term.

With Mr Ross’s existing contract near its end, the Council’s Executive Committee had earlier recommended the position be advertised, in order to meet legal requirements and consider all options.

The Committee’s recommendation was accepted by the Council and advertisements subsequently appeared on its own website as well as the Local Government New Zealand website and local newspapers.

“We had a number of applications, including one from Mr Ross, “ says Waitaki Mayor, Alex Familton, who also chairs the Executive Committee, “and we looked carefully at all of them. We went into this with an open mind. Although we were legally required to advertise, we also took the view that our assessments had to be fair and thorough“.

After completing its assessments, the Executive Committee (Mayor Familton, Deputy Mayor Gary Kircher, Councillor Struan Munro and Councillor Pam Spite) presented a report to the Council which concluded that Mr Ross “is the applicant best suited to the position.”

The Committee’s recommendation to reappoint Mr Ross for a second term of five years, commencing in January 2009, was unanimously accepted. “This is a good outcome, ”says Mayor Familton. “It means the Council’s management team will have continuity and competent leadership and those things are important, especially for smaller districts, all of which are facing big challenges.”

Mayor Familton says the Executive Committee has now completed contract negotiations with Mr Ross, who is legally the only person employed by Councillors. Local government legislation stipulates that a Council is only permitted to employ a CEO and it is the CEO who employs all other Council staff.