Who got that job?

Were you one of the people who appliedfor this job and wondered who got it?

Job title: Chief executive, Hamilton City Council

Reapplying for your job is an occupational hazard if you're the head of a local council. The Local Government Act requires that the jobs of council CEOs be five-year, fixed-term contracts, followed by readvertisement.

And that's the position Tony Marryatt found himself in, pitching for a job he's had since 1995. "It's not an enjoyable situation," he admits.

He wasn't too worried about the outcome; the fact that the job was advertised just twice in newspapers and applications invited to the mayor, David Braithwaite, was a clear signal the council was more than happy with the incumbent's work.

Tokoroa-born, married and a father of four, Marryatt is, in fact, the only staff member directly employed by the 13-member council. He, in turn, is responsible for everyone else.

He's in charge of making a city of more than 115,000 people work and says "there's never a dull moment. There's so much variety in the job, and the focus isn't just on making a profit. You can make a difference".

Marryatt's ties to the council stretch back to 1980 when, freshly armed with a bachelor of business studies, he joined the council as an accountant. He was later director of corporate services for Auckland's North Shore City Council and before taking the Hamilton job was CEO of Southland District Council.

But this might be the first and last time Marryatt pitches for his own job. The act is being reviewed and councils are keen to see the readvertisement provision ditched.

Readvertising to retain is an extra expense for councils and, says Marryatt, the prospect of having to contest one's job doesn't do much to attract people to the sector.