PAIR HIT BACK AT 'FAILING' CLAIM
21 June 2006
Two former senior council officers have hit back at claims by Swansea's former chief executive that the county was a "failing organisation" when he arrived. John Spence, the council's former acting chief executive, and Julie James, a former monitoring officer, have written a joint letter complaining about Tim Thorogood's description of the council.
Mr Thorogood made the comments in the local government magazine, Municipal Journal (MJ).Mr Spence and Miss James are not the first senior figures from Swansea Council to question Mr Thorogood's comments. Councillors were also said to be angry at the description.
Mr Thorogood, who left Swansea Council over a planning row, is set to join a local government think tank as its £90,000-a-year chief executive.
A decision on whether he will be allowed to keep changes made to a garage at his Rhossili home is expected in the next few weeks. Changes, including a kitchen area, were made without planning permission.
Now Mr Spence and Miss James have had their say.
Their letter to MJ said: "It is incorrect to claim when Tim Thorogood was appointed he was joining a failing organisation."
The pair said work had been underway for many years before Mr Thorogood joined the council, and independent reviews showed the council was performing well.
"At the time of Tim's arrival as chief executive the fruits of several years' efforts by political leaders and former chief executive Viv Sugar were becoming evident through a number of regeneration projects.
"The use of the phrase failing organisation is emotive and does a disservice to the many hard-working, committed individuals who have been associated with a number of considerable successes in Wales's second city."
Two former senior council officers have hit back at claims by Swansea's former chief executive that the county was a "failing organisation" when he arrived. John Spence, the council's former acting chief executive, and Julie James, a former monitoring officer, have written a joint letter complaining about Tim Thorogood's description of the council.
Mr Thorogood made the comments in the local government magazine, Municipal Journal (MJ).Mr Spence and Miss James are not the first senior figures from Swansea Council to question Mr Thorogood's comments. Councillors were also said to be angry at the description.
Mr Thorogood, who left Swansea Council over a planning row, is set to join a local government think tank as its £90,000-a-year chief executive.
A decision on whether he will be allowed to keep changes made to a garage at his Rhossili home is expected in the next few weeks. Changes, including a kitchen area, were made without planning permission.
Now Mr Spence and Miss James have had their say.
Their letter to MJ said: "It is incorrect to claim when Tim Thorogood was appointed he was joining a failing organisation."
The pair said work had been underway for many years before Mr Thorogood joined the council, and independent reviews showed the council was performing well.
"At the time of Tim's arrival as chief executive the fruits of several years' efforts by political leaders and former chief executive Viv Sugar were becoming evident through a number of regeneration projects.
"The use of the phrase failing organisation is emotive and does a disservice to the many hard-working, committed individuals who have been associated with a number of considerable successes in Wales's second city."
posted by Commentator at 11:00 AM
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