Month-long series of scandals mars Whittlesea Council
It’s been 30 days since Whittlesea Council elected its new mayor and Australia’s youngest leader in local government history. But the achievement has been marred by a series of scandals that have included the sacking of its chief executive.
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Whittlesea Council made national headlines when it appointed the youngest local government mayor in Australia’s history last month.
Cr Emilia Sterjova was just 22 when she adorned the mayoral robes at a special council meeting on November 19.
But her first 30 days in charge have been overshadowed by controversy, including the sacking of Whittlesea’s third chief executive in four years.
We take a look at some of the talking points.
MAYOR APPOINTS OWN MEDIA TEAM
Whittlesea mayor Emilia Sterjova will bypass the council’s media team and use her own external communications company — and ratepayers are expected to foot the bill.
Acting chief executive Kelvin Spiller said the council had authorised the move.
Mr Spiller saidCr Sterjova had been advised by the council to seek legal advice about a “confidential matter”.
“The council authorised the mayor to engage external first tier independent legal and communications advice in relation to a confidential matter,” he said.
Cr Sterjova did not answer why she had hired a PR firm separate to the council’s communications team, which agency she had engaged and the costs involved.
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MAYOR UNDER INVESTIGATION
Police told the Leader investigations were ongoing into an a driving incident involving the official vehicle of Whittlesea Council’s mayor.
The Leader understands Mayor Emilia Sterjova was behind the wheel when her Hyundai Santa Fe swiped another vehicle while reversing out of a parking bay at Epping Plaza last month.
The driver then left the scene.
In a written statement issued by Cr Sterjova in response to questions from The Leader, she apologised for “any inconvenience caused to the other motorist”.
“I was recently made aware that my car had been involved in a minor scratch in the carpark of Pacific Epping,” she said. “I am working through the required process with council office.”
OVERLAND TAKES “INDEFINITE LEAVE”
Simon Overland cited “difficult working conditions” and “health and safety concerns” as he took indefinite leave from his highly paid role as council chief executive on November 20.
The shock announcement came just days before the former police commissioner was set to take the stand at the Lawyer X royal commission.
In a statement, Mr Overland said: “The situation has been very difficult now for two years, but with recent changes on council, I now regrettably find my own health and safety significantly affected and accordingly, as of now, I am taking related leave.
“Since my appointment as CEO, health, safety and wellbeing for my staff at the City of Whittlesea has been a major focus, while meeting the needs of our community.
“However, interactions between councillors, and between some councillors and my staff, is not in keeping with contemporary requirements to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for all.
“Despite many attempts over the past two years, I have been unsuccessful in achieving improvement here, and in many respects the behaviours of some councillors have deteriorated, therefore increasing the risks to health and wellbeing.”
ACTING CEO APPOINTED
Council troubleshooter Kelvin Spiller was appointed as the acting chief executive of Whittlesea Council at an urgent meeting on November 23.
Mr Spiller would “carefully review” the circumstances which led to Mr Overland’s controversial decision to take indefinite leave, Cr Sterjova wrote in a statement posted on the council’s website.
CLAIMS DOCUMENTS ‘DOCTORED’
Allegations Whittlesea Council doctored key documents during a special council meeting on November 23 raised questions over the legality of its appointment of its acting chief executive.
Kelvin Spiller was appointed acting chief executive at the meeting.
Mr Overland took an indefinite leave on November 20, with Councillor Lawrie Cox saying the meeting agenda given to councillors on the day showed Mr Overland’s signature below the issue of summons — but he was not present at the meeting.
However, public documents of the same meeting, showed Cr Sterjova had called the meeting instead.
“That certainly wasn’t the case on the day — the cover sheet has been doctored and that’s disgraceful,” Mr Cox claimed.
The former Whittlesea mayor claimed the document was falsified to hide a legal matter and called for the council to be sacked.
Mr Spiller told the Leader it was an “administrative mistake” and was not “done by influence”.
OVERLAND SACKED IN SECRET
Simon Overland was sacked from his role as chief executive of Whittlesea Council behind closed doors on December 10.
It followed Cr Sterjova’s call for that night’s council meeting to be closed to the public at 8pm for an “urgent and confidential item”.
In a statement, Cr Sterjova said: “At a council meeting held on Tuesday, December 10, the City of Whittlesea resolved to terminate the contract of its chief executive officer, Simon Overland, effective immediately.
“Council wishes Mr Overland well for his future endeavours.
“Acting CEO, Kelvin Spiller, will continue to act in the role.”
STATE GOVERNMENT INTERVENES
A municipal monitor was appointed on December 13, just three days after Whittlesea Council sacked Mr Overland as chief executive.
Yehudi Blacher, a former deputy secretary in the Department of Premier and Cabinet and a former administrator for the City of Greater Geelong when that council was sacked in 2016, was tasked to monitor Whittlesea.
The embattled council would be watched over the next six months, with an interim report about councillor behaviour due on March 27.
The council has been under investigation by the Local Government Inspectorate over claims of bullying and workplace safety.
STAFF WANT OVERLAND REINSTATED
At least 187 Whittlesea Council staff members have signed a petition calling on Simon Overland to be immediately reinstated as chief executive.
The 13 page document, seen by the Leader, states council staff believe Mr Overland’s contract was terminated “without reasonable justification” and had been “detrimental to staff wellbeing and the effective and efficient functioning of our City”.
Cr Lawrie Cox attempted to table the petition at a council meeting on December 17, at the request of staff members.
But councillors voted in favour of tabling the petition behind closed doors instead.
Cr Cox said staff had been “anxious” since Mr Overland’s sacking and wanted to have a voice.
“They’re not happy about the decision,” he said.
“It’s bold to have their names put to that petition because councillors could then take adverse actions against those staff members, so I think it shows their depth of feeling.”
MAYOR ‘DIVIDES’ COMMUNITY
Council staff were advised to finish early on December 17 as police were called in to patrol offices ahead of a planned protest between the municipality’s Greek and Macedonian communities.
It follows Cr Emilia Sterjova’s controversial post on social media where she was pictured dancing with a “culturally offensive” Star of Vergina Macedonian flag at a community event on December 8.
The move divided the two communities, with Greek leaders calling for Cr Sterjova to resign or apologise for the “inappropriate” use of an ancient Hellenic symbol.
The icon was the subject of controversy in the 1990s after the newly-independent Republic of Macedonia, now North Macedonia, emblazoned it on their national flag.
The Greek government claimed the symbol was their own and had been stolen, causing the young republic’s flag to be revised into a rayed solar symbol.
The two countries then signed a Prespes Agreement, which stipulated the removal of the Star of Vergina from public use in North Macedonia.
Cr Sterjova deleted the post and issued a statement on her Facebook page on December 15 where she revealed she had been subject to death threats since uploading the photos to Facebook.