Second £125k director leaves Brighton and Hove City Council (From The Argus)

Second £125k director leaves Brighton and Hove City Council

3:40pm Wednesday 16th May 2012 in News

Another £125,000-a-year town hall chief is to leave his post – but this one will be replaced.

Charlie Stewart was one of four strategic directors brought in by Brighton and Hove City Council 18 months ago to improve services and help the local authority make tens of millions of pounds of savings.

But the former RAF officer has announced he will leave the local authority to take up a new role as assistant chief executive at Trent City Council in Stoke.

It comes weeks after the local authority confirmed fellow strategic director David Murray, whose portfolio is communities, would be leaving the council with an unspecified pay-off.

Mr Stewart and Mr Murray were believed to be vying for one job at Brighton and Hove after councillors voted for management cuts that would lead to one of the directors being made redundant.

Yet despite facing unprecedented Government cuts, council chiefs said they would be recruiting to replace the strategic director for resources.

Mr Stewart said in a statement: “I am leaving to take up an exciting role, but will be sorry to say goodbye to the many friends I have made across the council and city.

“However I know my colleagues will work hard to ensure that our goals and aspirations for the city will continue.”

Mr Stewart, who has worked as a cost-cutting consultant for Capgemini, will not leave the post immediately and the council said a leaving date would be announced in the coming weeks.

A spokeswoman for the local authority added that recruitment for a replacement would begin soon.

It is not thought Mr Murray, who will remain at the council until September, will be considered for the role.

Finance Cabinet member Jason Kitcat said: “Charlie has made a big contribution to moving the council forward and delivering more efficient services and we wish him all the best in his new role.”

But Labour group leader Gill Mitchell said: “I’m surprised the council is recruiting.

“I understand the chief executive, John Barradell, was bringing forward his plans for an overall reorganisation of the senior management of the council so I would have expected to have seen that before announcing a search for a replacement.”

Mr Barradell was forced to reshuffle the senior management team and reduce it from four to three after councillors voted for more than £250,000 of savings to be found over the next two years.