Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Geoff Williams and mayor Steve Chadwick talk to Local Democracy Reporter Felix Desmarais about the controversial organisational change that's seen the internal appointment of seven deputy chief executives. First published June 2021.
Geoff Williams has announced he is retiring after 10 years as Rotorua Lakes Council’s chief executive, nearly two years ahead of his contract expiring.
Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell confirmed the news in a statement on Tuesday morning. It said Tapsell “supports his resignation”.
“As well as leading our staff and organisation, he also developed positive and constructive relationships with iwi, Government agencies, and other community partners during his time as our chief executive,” she said.
“We thank Geoff for his contribution to our community, and support his decision to retire.”
The statement said Williams acknowledged the mayor and councillors’ support, and “believes the considerable capability of the council’s senior leadership team will mean that current priorities and work programmes will continue to be delivered”.
Williams planned to spend the next few months with family “before deciding what lies ahead”.
Tapsell said an interim chief executive would be appointed while the recruitment process was completed.
The mayor and councillors employ the chief executive, who is then responsible for employing all other council staff and for setting up and maintaining the council’s operational structure.
Under then-mayor Kevin Winters, Williams joined Rotorua Lakes Council as chief executive in July 2013, coming from a senior role in an Auckland Council-controlled organisation.
Geoff Williams first became Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive in 2013. Photo / Stephen Parker
Under former mayor Steve Chadwick, Williams’ fixed-term employment agreement was extended by two years in 2017 and in March 2020 he was reappointed from 14 applicants after a legally required external recruitment process. His contract was set to expire in June 2025.
Salary, terms and conditions then remained the same as his previous contract. His pay was then set at $374,721 and it also came with a vehicle allowance of $15,650.
The council’s 2021 Annual Report gave the chief executive’s salary as $366,181 with $25,565 for a vehicle — a total remuneration package of $391,746.
Local Democracy Reporting has asked Tapsell when he retired, what reason he gave, what his current salary was and if there was any payout associated with his leaving the council.
Tapsell said she had no further comment.
She was also asked whether his leaving had anything to do with the recent council restructure, which axed its six remaining deputy chief executive roles in favour of a group manager format.
The controversial decision to create the initial seven deputy chief executive roles in 2021 sparked national debate and criticism. At the time, Williams said the “organisational realignment” was prompted by heightened expectations of the council and that the titles showed the people in those roles had the chief executive’s mandate to represent the organisation.
She said she and Williams, as well as former chief executive’s office deputy chief executive Craig Tiriana, had a good working relationship.
“That was the way we worked.”
Chadwick said Williams had “amazing skills” and a strength was his knowing how government agencies worked. She said he was “instrumental in seeing the value of productive partnerships”, including with Te Arawa.
Another was how she believed he worked hard on the relationship between staff and councillors, which could at times be “bumpy”.
Former councillor and Rotorua District Resident and Ratepayers chairman Reynold Macpherson said he believed the community needed a fresh approach and, in his view, it was time for a council organisational review, redesign and reactivation.
“While I disagreed with Geoff on many issues over the years, I want to acknowledge his acute mind, sharp wit, and intense application, and wish him well in his retirement.”
Todd McClay, Rotorua’s MP throughout William’s tenure, said he wished Williams and his family well.
He said the chief executive’s “many years” contribution to the public sector needed to be recognised, and while they did not always agree, he understood Williams “put Rotorua first”.
He said the mayor and councillors had an exciting time ahead in finding the “best person” for the job.
Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for four years.
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