Old Kurri Pound Story Just Won't Die

[DMA]

The old Kurri pound story just won't die. In The Cessnock Advertiser 21/03/2012 Page 17 a local points out how badly the people of Cessnock have been ripped off. This, combinded with the fact that the court case has cost Cessnock Council over $136 000, continues the poor reputation of this council, along with this week's developments where the Council itself has taken 10 of the Councillors to court to stop them sacking the general manager. What an absolute shambles.

Read article below...

[_PL_]

David I saw the article about the GM sacking and Cr's receiving summonses. What does it all mean? Are the two things related?

[DMA]

David I saw the article about the GM sacking and Cr's receiving summonses. What does it all mean? Are the two things related?

It is somewhat related albeit the battle over the pound is one part of a whole lot of problems currently plaguing Cessnock Council. Pressure against the general manager has been building for some time. When she first came in a lot of old staff were asked to leave which caused resentment. Then came the battle for Kurri pound & the RSPCA contract which became a major legal fight for council. Then there were insultive remarks last year about the workforce, which completely soured management-staff relations. They were patched up early in the year, but already a number of the councillors were thinking about replacing her. Then there was another management-staff blow-up a month ago which lead to a vote of no-confidence in the general manager by the staff. About the same time the legal cost for the pound battle was announced to the councillors who hadn't been officially informed about the legal action in the Land & Environment Court. So these two recent events ensured a confidencial session at the end of the 8 March council meeting were the councillors narrowly passed a motion against the general manager apparently (sorry don't know the details). But last night was to be the night when the majority of the councillors, it looks like it was going to be 10-3, were going to sack the general manager. This, though, was stopped with the legal action you've link to above.

What happens next, I have no idea, but I have NEVER in all my life come across such antics & so forth before. How they don't get sacked by the state govt is beyond me.