The acting chief executive of the West Coast Regional Council, Heather Mabin, has been given authority to sign off on loan documents in the continuing absence of council chief executive Vin Smith.
Photo: Google Maps
Smith has been on personal leave since 29 April, after chairman Allan Birchfield initiated an investigation into employment issues at the council following recent clashes with the chief executive over resource consent decisions.
Mabin was asked to act as chief executive the following day, by Birchfield and another councillor, Debra Magner, who heads the council's Audit and Risk Committee.
Magner was reconfirmed in that role last night at a short emergency meeting of the council, at the request of the council's lawyers, Simpson Grierson.
The council had to roll over a $2 million loan from the Local Government Funding Authority by today, and needed to confirm that the acting chief executive had authority to sign the necessary documents, the legal advisors said.
Simpson Grierson also recommended that the council delegate additional signing authority for debt securities to the chairman and Magner who heads the council's audit and risk committee.
The council unanimously approved all the recommendations. Mabin's appointment as acting CEO is open-ended at this point, with no date set for Smith's return.
Birchfield today modified his earlier statement that the chief executive had been suspended, saying he was not certain if that was the correct term since Smith had offered to take paid leave while an independent person investigated employment issues.
"He basically left the meeting and went on leave; there are different opinions on council over how to define that."
Birchfield is facing a vote of no confidence at an extraordinary meeting next Monday, called by four of the council's seven councillors, for the purpose of removing him as chairman.
Stuart Challenger, right, wants Allan Birchfield removed from his role as chair of West Coast Regional Council. Photo: West Coast Regional Council
Deputy chair Stuart Challenger, who has led the charge, was absent from last night's emergency meeting along with Buller representative, Laura Coll McLaughlin.
Local Democracy Reporting is a public interest news service supported by RNZ, the News Publishers' Association and NZ on Air.
--