Council chief brings in adviser after cuts toll

KIRKLEES council has hired an adviser to “help enable the authority to fully realise its potential”.

Chief executive Jacqui Gedman has brought in Gary Rae on a 12-month contract. His appointment follows several others in the last months as Ms Gedman rebuilds her senior management team following cuts in 2010 that reduced the council’s heads of service from seven to three.

Speaking to senior councillors – including Council Leader Shabir Pandor – at a meeting of the authority’s Personnel Committee last October Ms Gedman said: “We cut too far.”

And referencing Clr Pandor’s rallying cry to “raise our game in the region and make sure that we’re punching above our weight” she revealed that she would be bringing in “additional capacity ... to be able to focus on trying to improve our punch at the region and making sure that we’ve got the evidence base that we need to be able to make those articulate arguments.

“This is a temporary role that I’m bringing in and I’ll come back in about eight months’ time [to report].”

The role was designed to “support the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council”.

In an email to the leaders of the council’s five political groups on March 1 she wrote: “Following an external recruitment exercise, Gary Rae has been appointed as Adviser to the Chief Executive.

“Gary is a former civil servant, working within national govern- ment, and its agencies - serving Governments of all political colours. He has also spent time as a director within the third sector.

“He will be working closely with, and on behalf of me, to develop this role into one that will help enable Kirklees to fully realise its potential.”

But Conservatives took a dim view, claiming appointing Mr Rae to his “undefined” post contradicts a decision not to employ staff on short-term contracts.

They have sought clarification over the length of Mr Rae’s involvement with the council, the specifics of his role, when it was advertised and the position’s salary.

Clr Martyn Bolt (Con, Mirfield), said it contradicted local efforts to appoint a community safety officer for Mirfield. He said the idea was initially blocked by Labour members at a District committee, add- ing that “officers also refused to support it claiming it contravened policy.”

He said the council was guilty of a “hypocritical” position in respect of its HR procedures.

He added: “I shall be asking for a clear explanation as to why a senior and undefined post can be set up on a trial basis but an essential community safety role, which had support from our local schools and community, wasn’t.”

A spokesman for Kirklees Council said Mr Rae’s appointment was made “through a robust recruitment and selection process”, following discussion at the council’s Personnel Committee in October last year. He said a number of applications were shortlisted for the job. The salary for Mr Rae’s role is between £54,195 and £60,540 and is “commensurate with market rates”.

The spokesman added: “The role is to provide necessary additional capacity at a senior level, to work alongside the strategic directors to ensure that interdependencies are recognised and cross-cutting issues resolved.

“The role will also support the Chief Executive at regional level to improve opportunities for Kirklees to wbenefit from funding and will help the Chief Executive work with all leaders to improve the reputation and profile of the borough.”