Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander calls for council CEO salaries to be capped, linked to rate revenue
The head of SA’s anti-corruption body has made a surprising recommendation about council CEO salaries.
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South Australia’s anti-corruption chief wants a cap on council chief executives’ pay – and have it linked to rates revenue.
The recommendation is in Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander’s submission to a State Government review of the Local Government Act.
His submission to Local Government Minister Stephan Knoll states: “Perhaps a Chief Executive Officer’s remuneration ought to be determined by reference to the rate revenue of the council so that the remuneration can be capped.’’
Commissioner Lander would not expand on his comments when asked by The Advertiser, and he did not clarify how rates revenue could be referenced in determining CEO remuneration.
Commissioner Lander has battled against an over-representation of complaints to his office from South Australia’s 68 councils, whose CEOs have in the past earned up to $450,000 a year.
The current top pay is $360,000, the figures set by deliberations within councils in comparison to like-sized councils in SA and interstate.
Commissioner Lander’s written comments were in response to findings of a review by the State Government, including that the independent Remuneration Tribunal set CEO pay rates. This suggestion has been accepted by councils and the LGA.
Adelaide ratepayer groups have complained for more than 15 years about SA council rate increases and CEO salaries, which often rise well above inflation.
Complaints about councils make up around one in every five dealt with by Mr Lander’s office.
In his submission, Commissioner Lander also criticised the nature of complaints between councillors, which make up most of the work his office carries out with councils.
It states that “elected members (are) weaponising the Code of Conduct to make complaints against one another’’.
He agrees with the State Government proposal that mayors be allowed to evict badly behaving councillors from meetings.
He also wants to end:
COMPLAINTS that will not lead to prosecution.
THE lack of regard to sanctions imposed on councillors and his office’s inability to enforce those sanctions.
SEPARATE codes of conduct for the sector, which should be subjected to the same rules for all councils.
BEHAVIOURAL problems being treated in the same way as more serious problems.
Commissioner Lander found independent Crown authorities should prosecute local government criminal matters, with police “not interested”.
“Should the LG Act prescribe offences, there needs to be a body which has responsibility for investigating those matters,’’ his submission states.