Dudley Council’s leader has a stark message to highly paid officers at the authority – deliver the goods or face the axe.
Speaking as voters prepare to go to the polls in local elections on May 7, Cllr Patrick Harley, who heads the council’s minority Conservative administration, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service why the authority does not rush to recruit.
The council is going through a management restructure to streamline its services which has led to changes in top positions and the recruitment of senior officers.
Cllr Harley said: “We will not accept second best, we have made poor decisions in the past and elected members have been let down, that is not going to happen again.
“We need to make sure we get the absolute best, they are on good salaries – six figure salaries – if we are not confident these people can deliver we won’t employ them.”
The long-time leader of the authority defended the use of interim officers to fill gaps if a permanent recruit could not be found and made it clear what would happen to staff who lack enthusiasm.
He said: “An officer was asked ‘why Dudley?’, he said ‘It’s easy’. That person no longer works for us.
“I don’t want people working for us who have that mindset, I want people who are ambitious.”
Regeneration is high on the Conservative agenda and Cllr Harley wants his officers to be on board.
He said: “For too long we have trod water, I passionately believe this is Dudley’s time to move and grow.
“In Brierley Hill we have got some really exciting plans, there is a lot of redesign in Lower High Street to come.
“Halesowen is really successful standing on its own, the BID is very successful.”
He added there is currently a feasibility study in the borough for a velodrome, possibly as part of a multi-sport facility, while Stourbridge is getting ‘moments of investment’.
Cllr Harley added: “I think Dudley really does need a shot in the arm. It’s not just about Dudley town centre, it is like throwing a stone in a pond and it ripples out.”
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