An academic says the latest episode in the saga of Gore District Council dysfunction is all the evidence needed for local-government reform
The appointment of Stephen Parry as Gore District Council’s interim chief executive should trigger intervention by the Minister of Local Government says Sydney-based public policy specialist Andy Asquith, who is “incredulous” at the decision.
“The minister has to intervene but the problem is he has too many things on his plate at the minute, like whether he is going to be minister on Monday morning,” says Asquith, from the Institute of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Technology Sydney.
Gore Mayor Ben Bell, in a statement released earlier this week, said Parry “is likely to continue in the role until his replacement is appointed”.
Bell said the council has “resolved” to keep Parry on on terms that were yet to be agreed.
But it has been reported the meeting on October 14 to decide on an interim appointment was stormy and several councillors were opposed to keeping Parry in the top job.
Parry resigned last month and was due to finish at the council on October 31.
His resignation after 22 years at the helm followed months of turmoil including a public falling out with Bell and the appointment of an intermediary.
Bell’s first term as mayor has included a failed vote of no-confidence, a shock resignation of a long-standing councillor and a petition calling for Parry’s resignation.
An independent review to restore confidence in the council was axed last month with councillors saying it would be “counterproductive” to delve into past problems.
Asquith, a former director of Massey University’s public management group, says if Gore councillors don’t want “commissioners to come rolling in” then the middle ground is to bring back the independent inquiry.
“But they won’t – because they are not going to come out of it very well.”
Deputy departing
News Parry would be staying on at the council came a day after deputy chief executive Rex Capil, who had been tipped to fill in, resigned.
Capil has reportedly accepted a job at Invercargill City Council.
Asquith says it’s clear the “council needs a fresh start” and not more of the same “failings”.
“There is a well established body of literature that demonstrates time and time again that if the CEO and mayor cannot and do not dance together then nothing good can come,” he says.
Asquith, who urges the incoming government to push ahead with the Future for Local Government reforms, says Gore District Council is a good example of the need for change.
“Gore embodies all that is bad about local government in New Zealand. It has poorly educated councillors who generally fit the male, pale and stale stereotype.
“Added to that you clearly have poor organisational governance; it is unsurprising that people in Gore are generally disengaged with their council.
“It’s the good people of Gore who are getting the shitty end of the deal here,” says Asquith.
There could be more problems ahead because the dysfunction at the council could make it difficult to attract a new chief executive, he says.
“It’s quite possible the council has put out feelers already to try to find a replacement.
“But who in their right mind apart from someone who is already inside – Capil was the obvious one – is going to want the job?”
Gore councillors met behind closed doors on October 12 to consider potential recruiters to undertake their CEO search.
Parry is likely to remain in the interim role for months and possibly on more than his $290,000-plus salary, since interim executive roles are often paid at a small premium.
Situation vacant
Dale Gray, an Auckland-based partner and founder of recruitment company Inside, says making an appointment takes up to eight weeks and most senior executives have a three-month notice period, so filling the Gore vacancy could take four to five months.
“The breadth of local-government leadership roles is really wide and varied, which makes them outliers from a CEO perspective,” he says.
Responsibilities include managing a full range of community assets including water supplies and sewage systems and working with councillors who have diverse motivations.
“Council CEOs have complex portfolio and stakeholder relationships because of the elected members who are driven by different things.”
Despite the complexity of the role Gray is optimistic the Gore role will have applicants.
“What tends to happen in local government is they hire from within the sector because of its complexity and nuances.”
The timing could be right as post-Covid more executives “have a toe in the water for new opportunities” and more have a desire to move out of big centres to work in the regions, says Gray.
“I think people have realised there is more to life than slogging out 60 hours a week for a large corporate and you can do something that contributes more to society or connects more to what you believe in.
“There are definitely people looking for more of that.”
The controversy surrounding Gore is unlikely to deter people from applying for the CEO role, says Gray.
“My gut feeling is that it wouldn’t dissuade people as long as they know they can form their own view and their own assessment on it.
“It’s probably where there is stuff that you don’t know about when things become problematic.”
Made with the support of the Public Interest Journalism Fund
