Payout scandal rocks Toowoomba Regional Council ...
Ratepayers are forking out to line greedy bosses' pockets.
A council spokesman says that ratepayers are not entitled to know how their money was spent.
Two executives have left scandal-hit Toowoomba Regional Council after pocketing secret payouts of almost $1 million.
The council's human resources manager Ken McLoughlin has left and been offered an alleged payout of $300,000 of ratepayers' money, although he is rumoured to be demanding $390,000.
His departure comes just weeks after CEO Philip Spencer retired, enjoying a golden handshake rumoured to be $600,000.
A council source said the payouts, which come a month after the council received an extra $1.8 million funding from the Federal Government, had caused outrage among staff.
"Ratepayers are forking out to line greedy bosses' pockets. It's bloody ropeable," the source said.
"It's disgraceful to think that the council has spent all this money ... on just two members of staff."
See - Courier Mail - Toowoomba council executives leave with $1 million payouts.
The two comments bound to enrage Toowoomba ratepayers:
A council spokesman said that ratepayers were not entitled to know how their money was spent.
A council spokesman said: "We do not owe it to ratepayers to comment."
Unbelievable ...
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 6:33 AM
5 Comments:
Prehaps an independent investigation is needed of this council. The mayor & councillors are useless, what do they do?
So much for the useless Toowoomba Chronicle reporting this to Toowoomba readers.
Seems like The Australian and Courier Mail are the newspapers to subscribe to.
7:38 AM, December 09, 2008
As a ratepayer in Toowoomba, I am outraged at the council's conduct and how they say it's none of our business how they spend the money we pay them. Where is the accountability? Peter Taylor should be apologising to every ratepayers for the comments made by the council spokesman.
9:56 AM, December 09, 2008
Taylor doesn't seem to be very accountable to ratepayers as reported on WIN News tonight.
Time he went too!!!
8:38 PM, December 09, 2008
Maybe this is why Councillor Carol Taylor tells ratepayers that we are broke when they want things fixed.
Now we know why and it is our business!
They had better come clean or maybe a CJC investigation should be held?
10:51 AM, December 10, 2008
The Chronicle:
Taylor stays quiet on $1m payout claims
9th December 2008
Mayor Peter Taylor yesterday said he could not comment on reports that two Toowoomba Regional Council executives had been given almost $1million in payouts.
A media report from an anonymous source yesterday claimed that former CEO Philip Spencer was given a $600,000 ratepayer-funded payout when he resigned last month.
It was also reported that council’s organisational development executive officer Ken McLoughlin had left and been offered $300,000 and was asking $390,000.
Cr Taylor said he was required to maintain confidentiality in relation to all staff matters and therefore could not confirm or deny the reports.
Cr Taylor said he believed Mr McLoughlin was still employed by council.
"I’m not aware that he has resigned," he said.
"As I understand he is still employed by council."
Cr Taylor labelled the report as "sensationalist".
"I’m not going to comment on the story because I don’t know where they get their facts from."
Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce president Shane Charles yesterday said he did not agree with the council’s secrecy.
"I believe ratepayers are entitled to an explanation," he said. "We are also not privy to the circumstances that took place for those payouts."
Mr Spencer yesterday told The Chronicle that while he was no longer employed by council, he was still bound to his contract’s confidentiality clauses.
Mr McLoughlin could not be contacted.
Acting CEO Brian Pidgeon yesterday said: "Council has no comment. "Matters concerning personnel are confidential."
One councillor contacted referred The Chronicle to Cr Taylor for comment.
11:14 AM, December 10, 2008
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