15 SEPTEMBER | ISSUE 483 | FREE
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Municipal Monitor Appointed To Strathbogie Shire Council A municipal monitor has been appointed to the Strathbogie Shire Council to help guide good governance. Acting Minister for Local Government Mary-Anne Thomas has announced the appointment of Janet Dore as monitor for Strathbogie Shire Council for a term of six months. The appointment was made at the request of the council’s Mayor and Chief Executive Officer to help guide the council as they serve their community. Ms Dore will work closely with the council to improve governance practices and help councillors understand their roles and responsibilities under the Local Government Act. “I expect the council to act as role models and maintain a standard of good governance that the people of Strathbogie rightfully expect from their elected representatives,” said Acting Minister for Local Government Mary-Anne Thomas. Ms Dore has senior executive experience dealing with changing environments at local and state government organisations, as well as on boards in government and the not-for-profit sector. Most recently she served as interim Chief Executive Officer of Ballarat City Council, she was a municipal monitor at Ararat City Council from 2017 to 2019 and is a previous interim Chief Executive at the Victorian Responsible Gambling Authority. Ms Dore will work closely with the council’s Chief Executive Officer and Mayor to assist them in implementing good governance processes and will report back to the Minister on the
council’s progress at the end of her term. "I wish Janet Dore all the best as she works closely with Strathbogie Council and helps guide them to best serve the local community,” said Minister Thomas. Strathbogie Shire Mayor, Cr Chris Raeburn responded to some questions that have been raised by ratepayers regarding the appointment of the Municipal Monitor.
Q. Were all councillors aware of the request and were they supportive? Yes, Councillors were absolutely informed and are supportive of further training, education and support. Concerns have been robustly debated about the cost, but we are using funding from within our existing governance budget and have not requested any additional funding from Council.
Q. On what grounds has the request been made? We are essentially a team of first-time Councillors who are asking for an extra layer of education and advice in our unwavering pursuit of good governance. We have a new incoming Councillor in a couple of weeks for the Lake Nagambie Ward and we will also have a new Mayor elected in November. We are keen for our community to see this as leadership. The monitor has not been enforced on Council, we have asked for an expert to provide us with dedicated and tailored guidance to help
Council work their way through their responsibilities under a new Local Government Act, which is proving to be a challenge for all councils across Victoria.
Q. What actions were taken before a municipal monitor was invited to observe the council? The monitor is not here to observe the Council, they have been appointed to build upon the extensive induction program provided to our Councillors and to augment the continuing learning and development program in place for Councillors. Councillors completed an intensive five-month induction program, meeting every Tuesday for many hours. As required under the Local Government Act, all Councillors have signed an attestation that they have covered all of the training and induction requirements under the Act. Please refer to the Council agenda and minutes of 18 May 2021 – the agenda provides detail around the induction program.
Q. What is the cost of the Municipal Monitor to the Strathbogie Shire Council and the rate payer for the six-month period? Janet Dore has initially been appointed for one to two days a week for a three month period. We have the opportunity to extend this for a further three months (total of six months) if we choose. Therefore, I can tell you the initial three month would be at a cost to the Council of about $20,000 to $30,000. This will be funded through savings from an unfilled position and actual costs will be reported at the end of the process.