Council backs plans for new appointment

THE next chief executive of Angus Council will be an internal appointment selected from its current strategic directors and heads of service.

A full meeting of Angus Council approved the move with the intention to reduce the council’s current top level management team — of a chief executive and three strategic directors — from four to three.

A council report warns if one of the three current strategic directors — Mark Armstrong (resources), Alan McKeown (communities) and Margo Williamson (people) — is not successful it could lead to a potential redundancy situation and “significant severance costs”.

The council’s current chief executive Richard Stiff has signalled his intention to stand down in May from the role he has held since 2011.

Montrose councillor Mark Salmond asked council leader Iain Gaul if the three current strategic directors had indicated they’d apply for the £127,000-a-year post.

Mr Gaul replied: “Not officially but they do know it’s coming and I don’t think it would be right for us to ask them if they want to apply before we agree who is going to be asked for interview.”

According to the council’s standing orders, the recruitment process will be undertaken by a council sub-committee comprising the leader and depute leader of the council and four other members, of whom one will be an administration member and three non-administration members.

Mr Gaul added:“The same board would probably decide the timetable for it and I’d suggest that would be done in conjunction with Richard Stiff as the outgoing chief executive so we have a seamless transition.”