Tamworth’s nine councillors are expected to unanimously back the reappointment of the current general manager Paul Bennett tonight on a new total contract package worth more than $300,000.
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Tonight’s council meeting will consider the reappointment of the GM behind closed doors but it is expected to ratify unofficial and formal decisions that Mr Bennett be offered another five-year term.
It has been general knowledge that the job was up for negotiation again and that Mr Bennett had expressed privately his desire to seek another term – and that the council was more than likely seen to back that.
He is believed by councillors to have been a steady hand on the tiller in his tenure, has overseen the start of some radical restructuring within the organisation, despite some criticism about some budget blowouts, and enjoys a good relationship with the mayor.
Mr Bennett was first appointed to the job in September 2010 and under the Local Government Act the process to consider any renewal of a contract for a GM was due to begin nine months before the five-year term expires.
A mayoral minute to the council meeting from mayor Col Murray states that Mr Bennett wrote to TRC last October seeking his reappointment for another five years.
Under the act, a council has to respond to the approach at least six months before it ends, and that deadline is March 5.
In his minute, Cr Murray said Mr Bennett had undergone a performance review last November 11 and the outcomes of that are to be considered in the closed session of council.
Under the act, that closed session would consider and decide whether to offer a new contract and on what terms. The GM would then be told of the decision by the mayor – but details of it and the salary package involved should then be reported to an open council meeting.
Cr Murray has already indicated that the financials relating to the GM’s position have been provided for in the operating plans.
The current TRC annual report has indicated that the total remuneration for the GM paid for the 2013-2014 period was $298,867, including fringe benefit tax.
The report shows that the salary component of that pay package was nearly $243,000. The remainder was made up of a vehicle component of $11,270, superannuation provision of nearly $35,000, while the fringe benefit tax was calculated at just over $9650.
Mr Bennett is 46 and a father of three children. He went to Armidale High School before starting his local government career with the then-Armidale City Council in 1987.
He moved to Tamworth from Narromine council.
