Rodney Stevens
A rescission motion lodged to prevent Clarence Valley Council’s General Manager, Laura Black getting a 2 per-cent pay rise of $7200 has been defeated in a five to four split vote.
Ms Black left the chambers before the debate began.
At the February 27 council meeting, the rescission motion moved by Cr Bill Day and seconded by Cr Greg Clancy was that council:
- Does not accept the Annual Performance Management report from the Performance Management Review Panel.
- Does not endorse the recommendation from the Performance Management Review Panel to award the General Manager a 2% performance pay rise under paragraph 8.3 of the standard contract of employment for General Managers of Local Councils in New South Wales.
Cr Day said in 2023 the NSW Government legislated to freeze all salaries of senior executives, politicians, and all council senior executives for two years.
Cr Day said the “escape mechanism” for councils was via the General Manager’s GM’s performance review process, which if passed, represents an increase of $7,200 in salary, backdated to October last year, increasing the GM’s salary to about $370,000.
“To put this in some sort of perspective, in June 2022 the NSW Deputy Premier was paid $350,328, a NSW senior minister was paid $333,072, a NSW junior minister was paid $315,814, our poor local NSW Member of Parliament was only paid $172,576,” he said.
“What are we saying to our community who are struggling to pay their rates or their rent, as we increase council’s rates and charges during this cost-of-living crisis.
“It’s so easy for councillors to say, ‘I’m doing my job as a councillor for my community’, now you have an opportunity to prove it.”
Cr Day said the GM’s performance review report “totally ignores the negatives”, it has no balance, “and believe me there are some substantial negatives”.
“Four experienced councillors acknowledge serious negatives in this council’s performance and don’t accept that these concerns should be just brushed aside and called this rescission motion,” he said.
Negatives Cr Day highlighted included problems with community engagement, the Treelands Drive Community Precinct project, defamation actions, councillors being denied information, the Grafton Aquatic Centre project, a recent Code of Conduct against a councillor, and various staffing issues.
Cr Karen Toms said she wasn’t going to speak against the rescission motion, but Cr Day had made “some pretty awful statements about our General Manager which are way out of line”.
She then mentioned the GM’s performance review process, stating councillor Clancy previously stated he resigned from the performance review panel “which is a lie”.
Cr Clancy then called a point of order, and Cr Toms apologised for calling him a liar.
“I’m so glad our General Manager isn’t here to hear this because it’s upsetting, she’s doing a good job, she has saved this council hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Cr Toms said.
“And yet we’ve got four councillors here who spent their whole bloody term out to get her…it’s a vendetta.”
Cr Jeff Smith then called a point of order and Cr Toms apologised for accusing him of ‘being out to get’ the GM, with Cr Smith acknowledging he had only formed his opinion recently.
Cr Allison Whaites then mentioned previous votes by this council where councillors Tiley and Clancy supported wage increases for councillors and councillors’ superannuation, but she said they wouldn’t support a 2 per-cent pay rise for the GM.
Cr Clancy said he took offence to being associated with a “get the General Manager group”.
“I’ve always had concerns about the process of the General Managers review panel…because as Cr Day pointed out, it doesn’t drill down in certain areas when there are problems,” he said.
Speaking for the motion, Cr Steve Pickering said for the past two years the GM’s performance review has shown she exceeded expectations, so she deserves a 2 per-cent pay rise.
The motion was defeated five votes to four with Cr’s Clancy, Day, Smith and Tiley voting against.