CEO speculation as council in limbo
NAMES of possible administrators for the embattled Logan City Council are being suggested as the city waits for a decision on whether the council will be dissolved.
The future of the council hangs in the balance after eight councillors, including suspended mayor Luke Smith, were charged with offences related to last year's dismissal of CEO Sharon Kelsey.
The charges came with strict bail conditions, suspending the councillors and barring them from entering council premises, ruling out the possibility of any council meeting.
>>EXCLUSIVE: We'll accept sack, won't sue like Ipswich: Logan councillor
High on the list of possible and suitable CEOs is Gary Kellar, according to Logan Ratepayer Association's Rod Shaw.
Mr Kellar filled in as acting CEO in Ipswich for six months from October 2017. He was also the chief executive of Logan City Council for 26 years and the 1995 recipient of the Public Service Medal Order of Australia.
Other names raised by members of the public on social media include former chief executives of Logan Chris Rose and Todd Rohl, although both recently left executive positions within council.
Acting chief executive Silvio Trinca met with the four councillors who were not charged with fraud-related offences this morning.
It was decided the four remaining councillors - Lisa Bradley, Laurie Koranski, Jon Raven and Darren Power - would take care of the city's 12 electorates as an interim measure.
Cr Power will take on divisions 6, 7 and 10; Cr Lisa Bradley will take on divisions 1,2, and 3; Cr Laurie Koranski will take on divisions 4, 11 and 12; and Cr Jon Raven will take on divisions 5,8, and 9.
Cr Power said the measure was only temporary while the council waited for the minister's decision on whether to dissolve the council.
Minister Hinchliffe sought legal advice over the weekend about whether he could dissolve the council - even with four councillors who were not charged.
Ratepayers have expressed their anger over not having a council and called on the minister to keep the four councillors as advisers to any new CEO appointed.
"It's business as usual, with bins being collected and residents who have issues can ring up one of the four councillors, but there will be no official meetings until there is a decision for the minister," Cr power said.
"But at some stage they will have to employ a CEO as in the case of Ipswich the administrator employed a CEO."
Former CEO Sharon Kelsey's case to be reinstated to the position she was sacked from in February 2018 continues in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission on Thursday and Friday, with summary statements expected from both sides.
The council also moved to cancel most official engagements, including tomorrow morning's breakfast with all federal election candidates which has been called off.
