REDLAND Council is facing strife after a protracted five-month process to find a CEO.
Tensions are rising after the original recruiter quit, which combined with the recent absence of Mayor Jos Mitchell, has stalled councillors’ decision-making. The resignation of former CEO Andrew Chesterman in September 2024 has left the Council in a leadership vacuum, with interim leadership provided by Acting CEO Louise Rusan.
The Mayor’s absence is complicating matters, with councillors locked in a stalemate over how to move forward.
Last week, an email purportedly from the Mayor was sent to Council’s human resources department instructing them to proceed with the CEO appointment. However, the mayor – who is reportedly still overseas following COMSEQ, has since denied issuing such instructions.
Councillors were hesitant to appoint a new CEO should Mayor Mitchell still be absent from a meeting scheduled for yesterday (after this newspaper’s deadline).
A council source said they were unaware of the Mayor’s current whereabouts.
“We have only seen the Mayor online, and we do not know her exact location,” the source said.
“All decision-making has been delayed, leaving us in a state of uncertainty.”
While councillors only require a quorum to proceed, the Mayor’s recent social media posts suggest that operations should remain at a standstill until her return.
If the Mayor was still unavailable yesterday, the decision to appoint a new CEO was likely to be delayed until her scheduled return from leave on March 7.
Legally, councillors – acting as a board – are responsible for making decisions under the Local Government Act.
However, they face a no-win situation: either potentially proceed without the Mayor in attendance, risking backlash from her supporters, or delay further.
Meanwhile, Mayor Mitchell’s public claims of exclusion have fostered a toxic political environment, with some ratepayers accusing councillors not aligned with the Mayor’s team of undermining her leadership.
Councillors have maintained that communication with the Mayor’s office is ongoing, and a new CEO will be appointed once she is available.
“In what major organisation is it acceptable for operations to come to a halt simply because the chairperson of the board is absent?” another source asked.
One of the leading CEO candidates is reportedly considering other offers.
A statement from Council said: “There currently are no leave of absence requests by Councillors, this includes the mayor, who will be dialling in for the meeting.”
