Mayor moves to control travel

By Jim Mynard
CASEY mayor Kevin Bradford this week again took his council down the shaky pathway of usurping the chief executive’s role of staff management.
Cr Bradford dropped a bombshell on Tuesday night when he asked for the matter of staff travel to be raised in urgent business at the end of the Tuesday, 17 October meeting.
He moved that the council reinstate the previous cancelled policy where officers were required to seek council approval before travelling to conferences and to bring it in line with the policy that applied to councillors.
The issue was after some debate taken in camera.
Cr Bradford said this was a form of responsible government that would allow councillors to be aware of what officers were doing.
He said it was also a way that councillors could protect staff.
Springfield Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford said the matter was not urgent but said she agreed with the idea.
She said, however, that the council had legal advice that clearly stated it was not the role of councillors to be involved in staff management.
“That is the role of the chief executive,” she said.
In answer to a question, Casey chief executive Mike Tyler said he was away during the last debate on the issue but it had been decided on legal advice that monitoring staff was not the province of the council and the council then acted accordingly.
But Cr Bradford persisted and said his motion if passed would let councillors know what staff members were doing.
Edrington Ward councillor Mick Morland said he could not support the motion because legal advice said the council could not do it.
“This comes under the authority of the chief executive.
“This is a waste of our time.
“We do not have the authority to direct staff because that is the role of the chief executive.
“We need our staff to travel interstate to better themselves,” he said.
Mayfield Ward councillor Steve Beardon said he was sure the chief executive would not have a problem with the motion and asked Mr Tyler if he had a problem with it.
Mr Tyler said his understanding was that there was legal advice on the matter.
River Gum Ward councillor Wayne Smith then successfully moved that the matter be taken in camera and debate was stopped.
The in camera committee decided that the status quo remain but the chief executive agreed to notify the council of travel by officers that he had approved.