By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Gedling Borough Council is looking to urgently hire a new head of finance and ICT to help steer the authority through “choppy” waters and financial challenges.
The authority will begin looking for a person to fill the position in August, having been vacant for four months.
During an Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee meeting on August 2, chief executive of the council, Mike Hill, said: “I have kept it in abeyance for the last four months considering where I go for a management restructure.
“However situations have changed recently and I have got the director of corporate resources off sick at the moment.
“It has caused a bit of a pressure within finance, which has caused the necessity to get this post filled sooner rather than later.”
The role is needed urgently, councillors say, amid ever-tightening budgets and financial constraints.
The council is now the fifth-worst nationally in terms of its core spending power, having seen an eight per cent cut since 2015/16, from £12.7m to £11.6m this financial year.
Cllr Michael Payne (Lab), the deputy leader of the council, said: “It’s really important we move at pace with this now because everybody knows there are significant financial pressures, not just for this council here, but for councils around the country.
“The capacity to deal with these issues as we run into the budget setting process is really important. Having this post in ASAP is absolutely crucial.
“I don’t suspect the pressure is going to reduce in the local government finance settlement that comes at the end of this year if the cuts continue from central Government.
“The sooner we get someone in post, the better.”
Some concerns were raised during the meeting about the council rushing to appoint for the role, as to make sure the right person is hired.
Leader of the council, Cllr John Clarke (Lab), added: “It is going to be choppy. It has been choppy for the last 10 to 12 years.
“It is really tricky now and I don’t think Mike can do it on his own. I think it is urgent that we go in August.”
The role is in band four of the council’s pay scale, and it will command a salary ranging between £69,000 to £74,000 per annum.
