Ku-ring-gai's Longstanding General Manager: John McKee, is he in the firing line?
Image: krg.nsw.gov.au
Updated - 12 October 2021- added links to Extraordinary Meeting Agendas and Minutes at the bottom of the article
Ku-ring-gai Councillors seem likely to terminate the contract of Council’s General Manager John McKee at a closed meeting to be held tomorrow, Saturday the 9th of October at 7 pm. The meeting was called by Councillors Christine Kay and Peter Kelly, who recently supported Cedric Spencer in his bid to claim the Mayoralty. The move comes just a few weeks before council is due to enter caretaker mode ahead of the upcoming local government election.
This meeting has surprised many in the community, as the General Manager’s performance was rated “More than satisfactory” by an independent consultant for council’s last performance review, conducted in July 2021.
However, Council did not unanimously support this assessment. Council voted in August to endorse Manager John McKee’s performance review and increasing his Renumeration Package in 2022, the vote was split 5/5. Then Mayor Jennifer Anderson, as well as Councillors Clarke, Greenfield, Smith and Szatow voted in favour and Councillors Kay, Kelly, Ngai, Pettett and Spencer voted against, with Mayor Anderson using the Mayor’s casting vote to decide the issue.
Ku-ring-gai council tends to be split evenly into these two factions when it comes to major decisions like this, and the Mayoral vote is often the decider. Mayor Anderson’s casting vote was the decider at this last review, and now Mayor Cedric Spencer’s mayoral vote may decide General Manager John McKee’s future.
Under normal circumstances, the General Manager’s next performance review would be due to take place in 2022, following the upcoming December 4th local government elections.
The council has not listed the purpose of tomorrow’s meeting and Councillors Kay and Kelly, who proposed the motion, have declined to comment. However, Deputy Mayor Sam Ngai and Councillor Jennifer Anderson have acknowledged that council would be debating McKee’s employment.
Mayor Spencer also acknowledged that Saturday’s meeting is regarding McKee but has stated that council has not yet resolved to terminate McKee and is merely re-assessing his performance. Although he does acknowledge that termination may well be the outcome of this assessment.
“Residents really want to see what they are getting for a $400k GM who's been employed here for some 20 years, by the former mayor who's been here for nearly as long” Said Mayor Spencer.
“He may very well have his contract extended on Saturday with an increment. We only have to wait and see what the council decide on Saturday.”
The former Mayor in question, Councillor Anderson commented on the timing of tomorrow’s Extraordinary Meeting
“I am appalled that Cr Kay and Cr Kelly have called this Extraordinary Meeting in the last eight weeks of this Council term. “
“Under normal procedures, the next General Manager’s Performance Review would be conducted next year by the newly elected Council, following the 4 Dec 2021 NSW Local Government elections, and reported to a scheduled Ordinary Meeting of Council, not an Extraordinary Meeting of Council with short notice in the final weeks of a Council term. “
Several community groups have released a joint statement expressing their concern with this move.
Kathy Cowley, President of Friends of Ku-ring-gai Environment said “This extraordinary council meeting is sudden, unaccountable and lacks public scrutiny. It raises concerns that local democracy is being sabotaged.”
Christine Drake of the North Turramurra Community Group also commented: “I am dismayed by the actions of certain councillors who want to terminate an extremely capable and well-respected general manager.”
Former Councillor Christiane Berlioz said:
“Reports that the GM is to be victim of dismissal by the new Mayor Cedric Spencer elected for a three-month term and his faction are shocking.
Changing the GM and destabilising council operations two months before all councillors’ face re-election is disgraceful. The motives of the councillors behind this coup are questionable.”
HK Post will provide an update after the outcome of the meeting on Saturday evening becomes known.
Read the related article about the change of Mayor.
The Agenda's and Minutes of the Extraordinary Meetings of Ku-ring-gai Council are linked below, these have been sourced from krg.nsw.gov.au
Agenda for the Extraordinary Meetings Scheduled for last weekend
