Council confirms CEO salary figure United front: Crs Tamsin Bearsley, left, Geoff Gledhill, Tamara Barth, Ron Brownlees, mayor David Eden, Rosemary West, Steve Staikos, Georgina Oxley and George Hua. Picture: Gary Sissons
Conduct code signed by councillors Kingston councillors agreed to treat each other with respect during council chamber debates, in written communications and on social media. They spent about 30 minutes at the special meeting debating whether to include a clause in the code of conduct requiring councillors to notify fellow councillors if a councillor intends to carry out property development in Kingston. Cr Rosemary West put up an amendment to the proposed code stipulating councillors who have development plans “underway or on the drawing board” would have to flag a potential conflict of interest but this did not find support from several councillors. “I think it is appropriate and I think the community would expect that,” Cr West said. After much debate councillors de-
Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au KINGSTON councillors have signed off on an agreed code of conduct to police behaviour and conflicts of interest. Councillors, except the absent Tamara Barth, met last Monday (13 February) at a special meeting, open to the public, to discuss the code. All councillors across Victoria had to meet a state government mandated deadline of 22 February to sign a new code of conduct. Councillors traditionally sign a code of conduct to abide by for a four-year council term within three months of election or re-election after council elections. Council elections across the state were held in November last year.
cided councillors “with development plans lodged with council disclose such plans to councillors and as soon as conveniently possible to the community via listing on the council website.” This means councillors will declare an interest in a development in Kingston when a planning application is lodged with council. Several councils, including neighbouring Frankston Council, faced the threat of councillors being stood down last year after the Local Government Inspectorate found signatures on council codes of conduct had not been witnessed by council CEOs. The state government intervened and saved councillors from the sack over administrative blunders. Kingston Council had complied with the paperwork requirements.
KINGSTON Council has come up trumps for transparency compared to nearby councils by disclosing ratepayerfunded CEO pay. The News asked Kingston Council and neighbouring Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire councils to confirm the remuneration of councils’ highest-paid employees and Kingston disclosed CEO John Nevins’ pay figure down to the cent. Frankston and Mornington Peninsula Shire refused to confirm the exact salary of its CEOs and merely referenced information publicly available in council annual reports. Council annual reports list income ranges, not specific salary figures, for council’s highest-paid executives. Kingston Council said Mr Nevins’ total annual remuneration is $376,511.66, including superannuation, adding that he had opted to buy one weeks’ extra leave in an offer available to all full-time staff. “Kingston Council sets its senior officer salaries based on benchmarking against other metropolitan councils,” Kingston mayor Cr David Eden said. “The CEO oversees an organisation of 1400 staff members, an annual operating budget of $200 million and assets valued at $2.2 billion and brings years of experience in the sector to the role.” Four executives who report directly to Mr Nevins — community sustainability manager Mauro Bolin; city assets and environment manager Daniel Freer; corporate services manager Paul Frank-
Kingston Council CEO John Nevins
lin and planning and development general manager Jonathan Guttmann — are paid between $220,000-$269,000 each, including superannuation, according to council’s annual report. Cr Eden advised that Mr Nevins’ remuneration was last revised by councillors in September last year after an annual review and that the CEO’s salary package is benchmarked against similarsized councils. Frankston’s 2015-16 annual report shows its CEO Dennis Hovenden was paid $330,000-$339,999, excluding superannuation, in the 2015-16 financial year. Mornington Peninsula Shire CEO Carl Cowie’s remuneration is listed as $310,000-$319,000, excluding super, in its latest annual report. Neil Walker
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
22 February 2017
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