Super council head set to be revealed

Super council head set to be revealed

5 February 2014

THE new chief executive of Down and Newry and Mourne Council will be appointed tonight.

Both councils are to merge next year as part of sweeping local government reforms which will slash the current number of 26 district councils down to 11.

The Recorder understands four women and two men are in the running for the top job after making it through a rigorous selection process which included making a presentation in front of an assessment panel.

The six candidates will be interviewed over the course of this morning and in the afternoon before the new chief executive will be chosen by politicians from Down and Newry and Mourne councils at a meeting at Newcastle’s Burrendale Hotel later this evening.

If councillors cannot agree by a two thirds majority who should fill the post to lead the new council into uncharted waters, the chief executive’s position will have to be readvertised.

Interest in the position has been huge, with the Down and Newry and Mourne job attracting the most applications for the 11 chief executive posts up for grabs across the Province.

Details of the candidates in the running for the job are being kept a closely guarded secret, but it’s believed they come from various parts of Northern Ireland and hold senior positions in a number of organisations.

It’s believed the newly appointed chief executive will have the power to appoint his or her chosen Directors of Finance and Human Resources and will work closely with the current chief executives of Down and Newry Mourne councils before the newly merged local authority officially comes into being in May next year.

The new council will be responsible for a huge area stretching from Crossgar to Crossmaglen and Killyleagh to Kilkeel and has been described by one local politician as a “completely different animal” to the one local politicians are currently used to.

“A huge culture change awaits us all,” declared the councillor who did not wish to be named.

“The new council will be responsible for aspects of planning and helping shape the future development of towns and villages. There will be many challenges ahead and it will be interesting to see where the new council will spend its money and on what.”