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WANGARATTA Council has moved a step closer to being sacked following the resignation of Cr Lisa McInerney and senior staff members taking stress leave.
Cr McInerney has quit less than six months after being re-elected and two directors, Ray Park and Ruth Tai, have taken leave for extended periods.
Embattled chief executive Doug Sharp has been ordered by doctors to take stress-related leave after being rushed to hospital on Tuesday.
Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell stepped into the crisis yesterday by appointing an inspector of municipal administration, Peter Stephenson, to Wangaratta Council for the next three months.
He will report directly to the minister on the conduct of councillors and staff, in a pre-cursor to the council potentially being sacked.
Cr McInerney handed in her resignation to mayor Rozi Parisotto on Tuesday, after recently returning from stress-related leave.
She said last week’s special meeting, at which Cr Parisotto and Cr Julian Fidge had engaged in a verbal slanging match that led to the meeting being adjourned, and another secret meeting held last Thursday to deal with the probity auditor investigation, were the tipping points for her to quit.
“The events of last week pushed me over the edge, emotionally and health-wise,” she said.
“If I had to endure any more personal attacks that came with that, or stress around that, I am not sure what that would have done to my health.
“It wasn’t fair on my family.”
Cr McInerney, who has two children, aged one and three, and born during her previous term on the council, said her family had to come first.
“This is a completely different set of circumstances we are working under now,” she said.
“The stress and strain is immense.
“In my opinion, it is not a very safe work environment.
“It is the right decision for me.
“The fact I was even contemplating this means it is the right thing to do.”
Cr McInerney lodged a Workcover claim due to stress and depression she felt after a fiery meeting at Cheshunt in February.
Her resignation will result in one of the beaten candidates from last October’s election being called up on a countback of votes.
Former mayor Roberto Paino finished eighth and is considered the front-runner to replace Cr McInerney.
He said last night he would consider returning if the re-count of votes fell his way, but other beaten candidates, Col McClounan and Anthony Griffiths, could also be in the mix.
“Things obviously aren’t good in the council,” Mr Paino said.
“But if my name came up I would give it my fullest consideration.”
Mr Paino was in the gallery last week to watch the Cr Parisotto-Cr Fidge verbal spat.
Senior staff members Mr Sharp and Mr Park have been under sustained attack from Cr Fidge in recent months.
Their absence comes at a critical time as the newly elected council prepares to hand down its first budget and ahead of another council meeting on May 21.
The remaining member of the council management team, infrastructure director Andrew Close, is expected to be appointed acting chief executive.
Mr Park is on leave for a month.
It is unclear how long Ms Tai will be off work.
Cr Parisotto could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
However, the council issued media releases on her behalf at 5.17pm, which addressed Cr McInerney’s resignation and the appointment of the inspector.
They failed to mention the three managers with stress leave issues.
She said: “regretfully, Councillor McInerney has tendered her resignation. Although disappointed, I respect her decision”.
“On behalf of the councillor team I would like to thank Lisa, she will be missed and I wish her all the best in the future,” Cr Parisotto said.
After a flare up in late February, Cr Parisotto had said it was “business as usual” for the council.
In her statement yesterday she said “it has been well documented that a number of problems exist at council and a number of investigations are yet to be concluded”.
“It is important these problems are resolved in an expeditious manner and that the elected councillors and the council administration function effectively in the interests of the Wangaratta community,” she said.