WODONGA Council's chief executive Mark Dixon will have his first year in the job scrutinised by an external reviewer in a move confirmed this week.
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It is the first time the council's highest paid employee will be reviewed by an outside party during the four-year term of the present council which comes to an end with local government elections later this year.
The decision to appoint an external reviewer on both occasions was made behind closed doors.
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But the appointment of consultants, Time2Talk, with a budget variation of $6640, was originally listed as a confidential item at council's March meeting before being moved into open council on a motion moved by Cr Danny Lowe and seconded by Cr Ron Mildren.
In the later debate on the item, Cr Mildren was the only councillor to vote against the motion Time2Talk be appointed which was moved by Cr Lowe and seconded by Cr Kat Bennett.
"It is an interesting thing councillors who could have a range of different experiences get to be the people who hire and manage a CEO when, you know, quite often really not all of us have had experience hiring and managing a CEO in a local government," Cr Bennett said.
In supporting the move, mayor Anna Speedie said being Mr Dixon's first year in local government as chief executive it was "absolutely appropriate we have an independent, highly qualified person help us conduct this process".
Time2Talk has been previously hired by Albury, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Indigo, Moira and Alpine councils and has a central Albury address listed on its website in addition to a Melbourne address.
The Andrews Labor Government recently made a $2.6 million injection towards the long-awaited project and council hopes the federal government could also come forward with funding.
