The so-called 'resignation' of Goulburn Mulwaree Council general manager Warwick Bennett leaves far more questions than answers.
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His sudden decision to leave on a day perhaps ironically marking the Ides of March is surrounded in secrecy, thanks to a confidentiality clause in a deed of release signed in January.
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It is abundantly clear that a majority in the newly elected council - and we do not say all councillors - wanted Mr Bennett to end his employment contract sooner. Last September, the GM of the past eight years had his contract extended by six months to March, 2023 but in January, it was changed to July 8, 2022.
His sudden departure on Tuesday was all the more shocking given previous performance reviews concluding, in former mayor Bob Kirk's words, "that he had consistently exceeded the role's expectations."
When Mr Bennett arrived, he committed to saving the council up to $3 million in the first year. He did this and gave the council confidence to spend money in reserves on major projects. The results, achieved in conjunction with staff and councillors, are there for all to see today.
It is not unusual for a newly elected council to want a change of direction. But surely, the question in this case is why?
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Councillors are conveniently hiding behind a confidentiality clause when there are clearly aspects of Mr Bennett's departure they can publicly speak about.
Mayor Peter Walker has dismissed any suggestion of tension between the pair. We take this with a grain of salt.
He has also failed to answer why the January contract contained a clause allowing Mr Bennett to leave before July 8, but still receive a payout to that date. Why was this necessary and why should ratepayers foot the bill? Let's remember that the GM received a $350,000 annual salary package.
Did all councillors agree to this clause and with the entire January contract?
We will lay a bet, given a lengthy closed session discussion in January, that four councillors were unhappy that Mr Bennett was leaving.
Less than two months into the new council, it's apparent that a five to four voting split is occurring. It mirrors that in the recent mayoral election.
Every new council needs time to settle and we sincerely hope this happens. But on this matter, its transparency leaves much to be desired.
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