Last week Lisa, my editor, published the outcome of a Freedom of Information request made to Cheshire East revealing that of 15 senior managers appointed in 2013 only four remain in office.
Three of them left the Council having accepted voluntary redundancy costing tax payers nearly half a million pounds.
First to accept voluntary redundancy was Paul Bradshaw with a severance package of £78,388 having held the position of Head of Organisational Development for just 15 months.
At 9pm on the day of publication my editor received a call from an irate member of the Council's Communication Team. This was followed by a 'rebuttal' from Council Leader Rachel Bailey who stated that 'yet again' Cheshire East had been portrayed in a negative light for 'no good cause.'
Leader Bailey went on to say: 'You refer to a whole host of staff who have very appropriately moved on in their careers after working for the council over a three year period.'
I can't help wondering why staff members 'who have very appropriately moved on' were offered any redundancy pay at all?
Apparently, doling out almost £500K to three officers, employed over such a short period, was perfectly acceptable to Councillor Bailey.
Even more bizarre was her claim that 'Local government is a fast-moving and dynamic and exciting career and changes over a three year period are not uncommon.'
That being the case why would their contracts of employment not reflect that rather than reward them for leaving?
How anyone can consider these pay-offs to be a sensible use of taxpayer's money defies explanation. A £78K payday for just 15 month's work takes some beating. Clearly when it comes to cuts CEC are following the line of least resistance hitting those least able to fight back.
Should Councillor Bailey disagree, and she has every right to do so, I suggest we run a poll asking readers for their opinion. Maybe I'm wrong...maybe taxpayers are at one with Leader Bailey's priorities and perfectly satisfied their money is used in this way?
Maybe not...
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of wilmslow.co.uk.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
And what, precisely, did Lorraine Butcher do to warrant a payout of nearly £100,000k.
The maximum statutory redundancy payment last time I looked was about £30,000. If these people are going to move on after such a short time why are they taken on at such ridiculous termination terms.
I suppose it's the usual public service 'merry go round'. The people who are setting the terms are presumably themselves benefiting from employing each other on ludicrously generous terms? Unfortunately they are doing it with your and my money.
As the Auditors have reportedly refused to sign off the CEC accounts and have called for an external person to run an internal enquiry (!), I suppose they are pre-occupied battening down the hatches for the next storm brewing.
Trying to find any meaningful financial data over the cost of Lyme green co socious personal therapists etc. Is no easy feat ! In fact your comment explains why !
There's no cllrs giving clarity on these pages .. Open Government !! Or fiscal chicanery ! Who knows !