North East mayor gives assessment of local government veteran appointed to oversee Wodonga Council

That description of monitor Janet Dore comes from a North East mayor.

Strathbogie Shire, which contains Euroa and Violet Town, has been overseen by Ms Dore since September.

This week Victorian Local Government Minister Shaun Leane gave her the same role with Wodonga after concerns were raised about its culture and governance.

Strathbogie mayor Laura Binks urged her colleagues at Wodonga to embrace the process and Ms Dore's "mentoring and advice".

"It's an excellent opportunity for council to be lifting their confidence and working well together," Cr Binks told The Border Mail.

"(Ms Dore is) brilliant, I've got along really well with her.

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"She's not backward in coming forward which I appreciate.

"She's forthright but fair and measured and is quite humorous as well.

"She takes her role seriously but delivers in a way that isn't finger wagging and telling off."

A lack of councillor experience after the 2020 election prompted Strathbogie's then mayor and chief executive to seek the appointment of a monitor.

Six of the seven elected were new councillors.

Ms Dore has provided advice in relation to councillor questions of officers at meetings, improving the clarity of agendas and the need to have done preparation before briefings so time is not wasted on background material.

Her term at Strathbogie may conclude in June, allowing her to concentrate solely on Wodonga, where she will be overseeing the hiring of a new chief executive.

Ms Dore is expected to work two days a week with Wodonga and have office space in council headquarters. It is anticipated she will take feedback from councillors individually as well as a collective.

Ms Dore has declined to respond to an invitation to speak to The Border Mail.

Her experience also includes leading the Ballarat and Newcastle councils.

The former TAC chief executive returned to Ballarat as interim chief executive in 2020 following an investigation which uncovered misconduct in the council.

Ms Dore commissioned two reports on the council's cultural issues and procurement processes after a damning Ombudsman probe.

The latter led to a former chief executive being sacked.

In a Ballarat Courier column, Ms Dore wrote councils need "to listen, learn and let more information flow".

"Transparency means accountability for our actions in the same way as mountain climbing, where every step is a guide for the next action."

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