Appointment limits new council

One of the most important decisions that councillors make during their term of office is the appointment of a general manager.

Why then did Gosford councillors vote on August 12 to reappoint its general manager Peter Wilson for a further four-year period despite being in caretaker mode and without seeking to publicly advertise the position?

This means that, regardless of who our new councillors are, the same general manager will preside over council business until June 2013.

The Department of Local Government specifically advises councils that they are expected to assume a "caretaker" role during election periods to ensure that major decisions are not made which would limit the actions of an incoming council.

In the light of this advice, and considering recent questions about council's financial and infrastructure management (including the potential for interest and capital losses of millions of dollars; a state-wide financial assessment that found Gosford council's existing policies to be financially "unsustainable"; a coronial inquiry into the collapse of part of the Pacific Hwy; the recent failure of Woy Woy Rd and major road maintenance issues along Patonga Dr), it would seem reasonable to ask if Gosford council would be better served by seeking to publicly advertise the general manager position to ensure that we get the best person for the job.

Rachel Lonie, Pearl Beach