Cumbria County Council bosses will decide the way forward next week after the departure of their chief executive.
Cumbria County Council is set to decide how to address the departure of its chief executive officer at a meeting on January 5.
Options on the table include appointing a new CEO to serve the county council for the rest of the authority’s lifespan or asking the existing staff to take on the work of the chief executive.
The council’s deputy leader Peter Thornton said: “That meeting is not to appoint anybody, that’s to decide the way forward.”
He said that the council did not have “a name in the frame” for the top job as the chief executive responsibilities could be delegated to existing staff.
He added: “We want the right person, we’re always looking at what things cost and the value for money, but we want the right person as well.”
The council announced the departure chief executive Gill Steward in November.
It was a major blow to the council as Ms Steward had prior experience with the local government reform process which will see Cumbria’s seven existing councils abolished and replaced by two unitary authorities.
John Readman, deputy chief executive, has been taking on her responsibilities in the interim.
The monitoring officer role, another key function in local democracy, has also been vacant since Iolanda Puzio left the council on November 5.
In a meeting of the Chief Officer’s Committee on November 3, Edwina Adefehinti was recommended for the role with councillors also agreeing to appoint an interim candidate until she can begin employment.
Councillors heard that an interim post holder would be needed as the successful candidate needs to serve a notice period before starting employment at the county council on February 3, 2022.
Mrs Adefehinti has prior experience as chief legal officer (monitoring officer) in local government including Northamptonshire County Council. An interim head of legal services has been appointed as the previous postholder has also resigned and officially left the council on December 23.
Councillors heard at the November meeting that the move would ensure continuity of legal support.
If a chief executive is appointed, the successful candidate and the monitoring officer will both serve on a temporary basis as the council will cease to exist after local government reform.
From April 2023, Cumbria County Council and the six district authorities will be replaced by Cumberland Council in the west and Westmorland & Furness Council in the east.
