Adelaide City Council to hold special meeting on chief executive Mark Goldstone absence

A North Adelaide councillor says members are “being treated like mushrooms” over their CEO’s months-long absence.

Adelaide City Council chief executive Mark Goldstone has been on extended sick leave since January. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Adelaide City Council has been asked to hold a special council meeting to discuss the whereabouts of its chief executive, Mark Goldstone.

North Adelaide councillor Phillip Martin has called for the meeting next Monday with the support of two other councillors, close ally Anne Moran and senior public servant Greg Mackie.

Mr Goldstone has been on extended sick leave since January, with unconfirmed reports he was unwell.

His deputy, Clare Mockler, has been acting in the position for three months and attending the council’s monthly meetings and its workshops as his replacement.

Cr Martin sent a letter to Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor and Ms Mockler on Thursday morning saying the absence of Mr Goldstone had to be explained.

Under the Local Government Act, a special council meeting can be called by any elected member in writing, provided they have the signatures of two other councillors.

In a letter to councillors, Mr Martin said elected members needed an explanation about why Mr Goldstone, who is paid around $380,000 a year, had not returned to work.

“The absence of our highest paid and most skilled staff member is, in my view, having an adverse impact on council,” he said.

“It is the subject of discussion and concern in the city and, under the Lord Mayor’s scaled back meeting program, there is no scheduled voting meeting of council which would allow us to get to the bottom of this until April.”

Cr Martin said he could not “emphasise enough that the CEO’s presence is becoming increasingly urgent given our grave financial position and a myriad of important issues for the city that are not being addressed.”

“I urge you (other councillors) to attend (the special meeting), for the sake of our council and of our city,” he said.

Adelaide City councillor Phil Martin addresses a meeting at Adelaide Town Hall before chief executive Mark Goldstone went on extended sick leave. Picture: Colin James

Cr Martin asked elected members to approve a motion which called for Ms Veschoor to provide a written report publicly or confidentially by March 26 explaining Mr Goldstone’s absence.

He said the report should detail if Mr Goldstone was on sick leave “supported by a medical certificate, recreation leave or some other leave arrangement”, if he was receiving full pay and when he was expected to return to work.

The motion also called on Ms Verschoor or Ms Mockler to disclose if Mr Goldstone was involved in any legal disputes with the council or Ms Verschoor and if there had been associated legal correspondence.

It also asked elected members to call on Ms Verschoor to “declare her support for the CEO continuing in his role until his contract expires at the end of this term of council”.

Contacted for comment, Cr Martin said he had not seen Mr Goldstone since elected members had Christmas drinks with staff last December.

“A few weeks later, I was told he was sick and having tests,” he said.

“Then they said he’s OK and he’ll be back next week which became the next week and that became the week after that and there’s still no sign of him.”

Cr Martin said Mr Goldstone reported directly to Ms Verschoor “and she’s saying nothing”.

“In the face of lord mayoral radio silence, the only option to get to the bottom of this is to put a resolution to the full council to oblige her to tell us what’s going on,” he said.

Cr Martin said Ms Verschoor needed to “level with her councillors to stop the rumours and help stabilise the organisation”.

“I’m sorry it’s come to having to put a formal resolution to council to get answers, but the lord mayor has a responsibility to stop treating us like mushrooms,” he said.

“A ship without its captain never sails well and the good ship City of Adelaide is, I think, steering towards the rocks,” he said.

Adelaide City councillor Phillip Martin (left) during a meeting at Adelaide Town Hall supervised by chief executive Mark Goldstone (centre). Picture: Colin James

Contacted for comment, Ms Verschoor said Mr Goldstone had needed “to take some time away from work to undergo medical tests and to prioritise his health”.

“I have been in regular contact with Mark to see how he is going and councillors have been kept regularly informed,” she said.

“We need to respect and maintain the privacy of the CEO, as we would with any staff member.

“I will continue to keep councillors updated and wish Mark a speedy recovery.”

Ms Verschoor said the council had put in place interim arrangements to enable Mr Goldstone to “focus on his health”.

“Our acting CEO is ensuring we are delivering on our strategic plan priorities and important community outcomes,” she said.

“I and many of my fellow councillors are getting on with business and are continuing to deliver for the city and the community.

“I encourage all councillors to do the same.”

Mr Goldstone could not be contacted.