TAMWORTH Regional Council general manager Paul Bennet is in line for a 14 per cent pay rise, thanks to a ringing endorsement from the councillors.
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In a closed meeting, councillors endorsed a recommendation to beef up Mr Bennett’s pay packet to “bring the package in line with the General Manager of councils of similar scale and complexity to Tamworth Regional Council”.
In 2015, Tamworth Regional Council reappointed Mr Bennett on a contract worth “more than $300,000”.
“The general manager’s remuneration is reviewed independently every 12 months and determined by the general manager’s performance review committee,” mayor Col Murray said.
“The remuneration is reviewed in conjunction with the general manager’s contract and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and against a comparative report released by Local Government NSW.
“Councillors endorsed the committee’s recommendation to increase the general manager’s salary by 14 per cent, based on the general manager achieving additional KPIs that relate to things such as an improved customer experience, significant infrastructure developments and the adoption of innovative processes and platforms.”
Cr Murray said the raise would bring Mr Bennett’s salary in line with similar councils, but the increase brought an expectation of “a similar level of productivity”.
“The committee, in its deliberation, acknowledged that we have a high-performing general manager who is currently receiving remuneration well under par for the role being performed,” Cr Murray said.
“This is a one off adjustment, six years into the general manager’s engagement by Tamworth Regional Council and is not an unusual occurrence with good performing general managers and CEO’s across both the corporate and local Government sectors.
“Councillors regard Tamworth Regional Council as a high-performing organisation and take the accountability of its staff seriously.
“Comparative data, particularly with Council’s like the other Evocities all suggest that Tamworth Regional Council is performing well against its peer Councils and this should be acknowledged through the remuneration of the general manager.”