Liverpool City Council has lost another chief finance officer, who is leaving the troubled local authority after just ten weeks.
Chris Buss was brought in as the council's acting Section 151 officer - a statutory responsible finance officer position - in June. He stepped into the role after the resignation of former finance director and deputy chief executive Mel Creighton, who quit her post at the end of May.
Ms Creighton resigned shortly after news came to light of a series of council errors that may have added millions of pounds to the city's electricity contract. Her then boss, Tony Reeves, would go on to resign in July.
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Mr Buss had recently been appointed as a deputy finance director when Ms Creighton resigned. On June 13 Mr Reeves emailed staff to say he had been asked to act up as the council's lead officer for finance.
But in an email seen by the ECHO, the council's interim head of paid service, Anne Marie Lubanski confirmed Mr Buss will leave the council this week. It is understood that he was unable to commit more days to the role. The council is now actively looking for another interim finance chief.
It's another blow for a council in chaos. Earlier this month the commissioners already installed at the council delivered a damning verdict on the lack of progress being made at the authority. Secretary of State Greg Clark has backed their recommendations to expand their powers to now take over all financial and resource decisions at the city council.
While the council is struggling to make senior appointments at present, one person who has been brought on board is new interim chief executive Theresa Grant. Ms Grant has had an extensive career in local government and was most recently chief executive of Northamptonshire County Council as it was going through its own government intervention.
As well as its move for much more control, the government will also create a new Liverpool Futures Strategy panel, which will see Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram working with former Manchester City Council chief executive Howard Bernstein and ex-Leeds Council leader Judith Blake on how the city moves forward.
Liverpool Council has until September 2 to respond to the government over its plans to increase its intervention.
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