Editorial: CEO job not so up for grabs after all

The Daily Post is always a good read, but there was even more interesting information in Saturday's edition.

I opened the classified section to see a job advertised in the situations vacant for the chief executive officer of Rotorua District Council.

Soon after the paper came out, I received emails, phone calls and texts from contacts and members of the public asking me what was going on? What has happened to our chief executive Peter Guerin?

This was a valid question. As the chief reporter, shouldn't I know if something was going on with the top management job of our local council?

Turns out there is nothing untoward going on with Mr Guerin's job, as we have since found out.

The council has started advertising the position as the current contract ends on June 30. Advertising the job is a requirement under the Local Government Act to consider all applications before reappointing someone for up to five years.

Rotorua Mayor Kevin Winters said yesterday (after we asked the council to explain the job ad) the recruitment process had nothing to do with the performance of the current chief executive, but was a legislative requirement each time a chief executive's contract came to an end.

He said chief executive contracts were limited to a maximum of five years and were then required to be publicly re-advertised before anyone could be appointed for any subsequent term. Sounds reasonable.

To dispel any confusion, it would have been ideal if the council had issued their statement to the media - and therefore the public - before the job was advertised.

What do you think?

Email editor@dailypost.co.nz, text DP then your message to 021 241 4568, or write to editor, PO Box 1442, Rotorua.