THE absence of a permanent council chief executive in the run-up to next year’s budget could hinder the process, according to opposition councillors and union bosses.

GMB representative Mark Turner has called for the Brighton and Hove City Council to review its current timetable which won’t see candidates interviewed to replace Penny Thompson until October.

He said the council had been misadvised in not stepping up the search during the summer holidays.

But council leader Warren Morgan said he would not be rushed into replacing Ms Thompson who left in June with a £269,000 pay-off.

Interviews to replace her will not be held until October 19, leaving the council without a chief executive during the run-up to crucial budget meetings in February next year.

In addition, the council's £999-a-day interim executive director for finance Rachel Musson is due to leave the authority in September.

Mr Turner warned the delayed appointment of a new chief executive would mean next year’s budget would be more “salami-slicing” rather than necessary radical reform in the face of huge cuts to central funding.

He said: “Chief executives may go on holiday but they don’t stop looking for opportunities.

“We should be interviewing in late August or September so that we can have someone in quicker and we are asking the administration to review their timetable.

“You need someone as the head of paid service who has the confidence of the administration and can convince the staff and the trade unions during budget talks or nothing goes forward.”

Councillor Ollie Sykes, who led the budget process for the last Green administration, said: “The chief executive has an important role to play, Penny played a very important role shuffling between the three parties and trying to find common ground in our various positions.

“Geoff Raw knows the way things work but yes there will be a gap there.”

The council’s executive director of environment and housing, Geoff Raw, was confirmed as acting chief executive earlier this month.

Coun Morgan said: “I am really confident that Geoff Raw and the team of officers we have in place are more than capable of steering us through the budget process.

“We are not going to rush into the appointment of chief executive, the process needs to be open and transparent and we need to take the time to get it right.

“Rushed decisions are rarely good ones.”