By Jim Mynard
THREE Casey councillors have ended their council term with a sustained attack on Casey chief executive Mike Tyler.
Casey mayor Neil Lucas described the attack as a disgrace.
And Oatlands Ward councillor Mick Morland declared total faith and trust in the chief executive during debate on the matter.
The attack, during the second last council meeting for the term, held on Thursday, 4 November, was a continuation of a previous failed onslaught on the chief executive over senior officer credit card use.
Directors use credit cards for a range of expenses rather than cash or prepayment, which is cumbersome.
The issue raised its head again when Mr Tyler was off work for a major operation on his shoulder.
Mayfield Ward councillor Kevin Bradford moved during the urgent business segment that three policies in regard to officers conference and travel expenses be reinstated.
The policies covered credit and fuel card use and were discarded from the manual during the Tuesday, 18 October council meeting.
The policies were deemed to be inconsistent with the Local Government Act on the advice of two separate legal advisers.
Cr Lucas, a former local government chief executive, referred the policies to the then acting chief executive Steve Dalton who obtained the legal advice.
Mr Dalton decided to seek a second opinion before writing his report to the council.
He brought the issue to the 18 October council meeting and the council voted to remove the policies from the manual.
Myuna Ward councillor Brian Oates said during debate on Cr Bradford’s motion that the council had been misled by the acting chief executive’s report.
Cr Oates said the council had policies in place, but they had been taken out at the 18 October meeting.
“We now have no controls in place; we have a vacuum,” he said.
Cr Oates said the officer report was misleading because it said the policies were in conflict with the act.
“The legal advice was that the policies were inconsistent with the act.
“The chief executive is saying to us give me unfettered use of ratepayers money.
“I am concerned about the legal advice we received because it says the policies were inconsistent and an intrusion on the chief executive’s ability.
“Other councils have a policy.
“What happens if the chief executive does not have adequate controls in place?
“We hit the headlines over the council’s credit card use and we got reports from the auditor general’s office saying that our checks on spending were inadequate.”
Cr Oates said no action had been taken against anyone, but the council then put in controls.
“The mayor and councillors are here to manage the council for the ratepayers,” he said.
“We are not here to give the chief executive an unfettered ride with ratepayers’ money.”
Araluen Ward councillor Rob Wilson said the council had been reported in a huge Melbourne press article for spending thousands of dollars a year on travel.
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