Citizens are the focus for new council boss

‘Excellent time’ to take up top job says incoming chief executive

The new chief executive of Angus Council has vowed to work with “anyone and everyone” for the benefit of the county’s citizens.

Margo Williamson takes the reigns as local authority chief today, following Richard Stiff who spent five years at the helm.

Mrs Williamson was the council’s strategic director for people before it was decided to appoint a new chief internally, in an effort to trim costs at the top.

Her assumption of the role coincides with a new administration composed of independents, Conservatives and Lib Dems.

She said this is an “excellent time” to become chief executive.

“We have a new administration who are enthusiastic about engaging officer advice to set strategic policy,” she said.

“Our best value audit report in October 2016 stated ‘we need to raise our level of ambition and increase the pace and depth of improvement’ and our staff are already working hard to redesign services that are relevant to changing needs.

“We are also fostering a results-based culture throughout the organisation and everyone is focused on cost reduction.

“In September we will outline our priories as a council and as a Local Council Improvement Partnership.

“I am keen to work with anyone and everyone who has the citizens of Angus as their focus.”

Mr Stiff, whose last official day was May 31, said his last six years have “flown by”.

“The council has changed a fair bit over the six years since 2011 as we made the best we could of increasingly

I am keen to work with anyone and everyone

difficult circumstances for local government and public services in general,” he said.

“If anyone out there thinks I have done a reasonable job as chief executive in the face of those pressures it is largely down to the hard work and dedication of the Angus Council team, and the credit is theirs.”

Margo Williamson takes up her post today.