Plans to bring back former chief executive Stuart Rosser to scandal-hit Caerphilly County Borough Council were dropped last night by councillors.
The move was expected to be debated and approved at a special council meeting on Thursday, but the recommendation to bring back Mr Rosser on a part-time basis was withdrawn.
Instead the council will now advertise for an interim chief executive. Its appointments committee will meet on July 18 to consider expressions of interest.
Full council will then decide an appointment based on the recommendations of the committee on July 23.
Cllr Andrews, speaking after the meeting on Thursday, said “Today’s decision backs my determination that Caerphilly has a professional management team of the highest calibre as soon as possible, while ensuring we comply with relevant legislation.
“Under the arrangements agreed tonight, I have put in place plans to secure a strong, effective management team. This has undoubtedly been a difficult time but my overriding objective is, as always, to provide the best possible services for residents. I’m delighted that our council has so strongly voted to support my recommendation.”
Opposition councillors were furious at the last minute change on Thursday with former Plaid council leader Lindsay Whittle branding Caerphilly a “laughing stock of Wales”.
Plaid’s group leader Colin Mann warned that the council could go into special measures if it failed to solve its leadership crisis.
Chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan and deputy Nigel Barnett have been suspended from the local authority.
Both men have been arrested by Avon and Somerset Police on suspicion of fraud and misconduct in a public office and have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.
The police investigation, being carried out by the English force after a referral from Gwent Police, follows a damning report published by the Wales Audit Office into huge pay rises agreed by the council in secret last year.
Mr O’Sullivan’s pay increased from £132,000 to £158,000 as a result of the decision – later deemed unlawful by the Wales Audit Office.
The pay rises, of up to 30%, for 21 senior council bosses, caused huge anger among staff and the public and forced the council to vote through a compromise deal scrapping the original decision.
After Mr O’Sullivan was suspended on full pay, Mr Barnett took over his responsibilities, until he was suspended earlier this month following his and Mr O’Sullivan’s arrests.
In the interim, education director Sandra Aspinall has assumed the role of acting deputy chief executive.”
Cllr Andrews, the Leader of the council appears to have appointed himself as the sole hirer and firer of COE – Head of Paid Service.
With his administration in total meltdown, did he not even have the common sense to seek legal and guidance and clarification before he publicly declared in the press that he was bringing in Mr Rosser as
Head of Paid Service.
Cllr Andrews then calls a full council meeting of all 73 members to ratify what he had publicly stated only to face the humiliation of having to withdraw his proposals as they were deemed to be unlawful and not in accordance with the standing orders of the council which he is leader of.
What a total mess. In the name of decency, it is time for him to resign.
Send in the clowns!
Prior to May 2012 the Council was very well run, whether it was Lab or Plaid led. This was acknowledged by Councilors on both sides and most officers.
Since Lab took over 15 months ago we have become one of the worst run Councils in the UK. We are a laughing stock. Our moral is rock bottom and too many of us are looking for jobs outside of the authority. We have no confidence whatsoever in the leader and the cabinet. They are a shambles, clueless and rudderless.
Whilst none of us want the Commissioners in, the alternative of four more years of this current administration fill most of us with dread. Perhaps it's time of Carwyn Jones to stop bailing out his Labour party colleagues and pull the plug.