Candidates for top job to face grilling
Councillors will meet in private as they have their say on who becomes the next chief executive of Powys County Council.
The full council, which takes place next Tuesday, will see councillors given the chance to quiz both candidates for the role on how they will take the authority forward.
The two candidates for the role have not been revealed.
If the councillors are happy following the session, they will decide by ballot which of the candidates will be offered the top job.
Whoever takes over the hot seat will be paid just over £138,000 per annum.
The figure is more than £60,000 lower than the last chief executive, Jeremy Patterson, had received as his annual salary.
Successor
At the moment leadership of the council's workforce is in the hands of former Denbighshire County Council chief executive, Dr Mohammed Mehmet, who is the acting chief executive.
His role is to provide a strategic plan for Powys to follow.
Dr Mehmet was given a nine-month contract when he took over the role in April, but is expected to stay in post until a successor can start.
Deputy chief executive David Powell runs the day to day business of the council and took over as interim chief executive for a time.
The furore that surrounded a children’s services report in October 2017 saw calls made for Mr Patterson to resign.
A few days later he was signed off as unfit to work.
In July, councillors met behind closed doors and agreed a severance deal worth just under £181,500 for Mr Patterson.
This included a lump sum compensation payment worth £116, 915 which was part of the deal to “mutually terminate” Mr Patterson’s contract on September 30.
This allowed the authority to go ahead and seek his replacement.
Mr Patterson joined Powys council in 1996 after a move from Shropshire.
He has held a number of senior positions including group director corporate and democratic service and executive director regeneration and organisation.
He was appointed chief executive in 2009.
