Barbara Thomas, Uki
Open letter to Councillors Longland, Milne, Bagnall and Armstrong:
From my limited knowledge of the behaviour and lack of support for policies with environmental/sustainable components of D Keenan, you have done the shire a favour.
Certainly local government seems to get some unsuitable people as GMs – I remember well the GM of Byron Shire years ago who put the shire in deep debt to build shire offices well in excess of the need. The shire paid him out to the tune of $800,000 to get rid of him (a lot of money 15 years ago).
I see in Echonetdaily that his contract is going to be paid out – if this is correct, can’t you do better than that? Why should these people who do not meet councillors’ expectations be paid so handsomely? No doubt there are contractual rules in play, but please do try to pay him the least possible (surely three months’ salary would do) and after all it is we ratepayers who pick up the tab, or forgo services that might have been.
Sometimes it takes courage for decision makers to feel okay about not being ‘the nice guy’ and make the right decisions, which are hard to do when confronting others over difficult issues on a personal level (ie monetary terms when being sacked).
Please when choosing the next GM look very carefully at them in terms of their record and stated commitment to representing our precious area in terms of sustainable development, in fact sustainable everything: tourism, innovative industries, employment opportunities etc.
Make sure Katie Milne has a say this time! Her voice will be a valuable one in the mix of opinion. Of course I realise you have the three conservative, pro-development councillors to contend with.
Good luck and thank you for standing up for what you believe is right and important.
