Joe McCabe named as council’s acting-CEO while a permanent replacement is recruited

Townsville City Councillors have voted in favour of an acting-CEO while a replacement is found for outgoing CEO Prins Ralston.

Joe McCabe was appointed as Townsville City Council's new acting CEO after previously working as an Interim Chief Executive Officer at Alice Springs Town Council. Picture: AliceSpringsTownCouncil.

Joe McCabe has been announced as Townsville City Council’s acting CEO following a vote by councillors during a special meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday morning.

Prins Ralston resigned from the CEO position just two days after the new council was sworn in following March’s local government election.

Mr Ralston is expected to finish in the role on Friday, May 10, when he brings down the curtain on nearly four years in the role.

The new acting CEO is expected to keep the outgoing CEO’s seat warm for three to six months while a recruitment campaign is carried out for a permanent CEO.

On his Linked In profile, Mr McCabe describes himself as an “experienced local government senior executive”, a mentor, the managing director McCabe Business Management and says he is available for consulting, contracting or interim CEO roles.

Joe McCabe in the Gold Coast City Council Chambers on budget day in 2022. Picture Glenn Hampson.

Mr McCabe was presently employed doing contract work for City of Darwin council as an “independent external member, risk management and audit committee” since October 2023.

Prior to that, he did a six-month stint at Alice Springs Town Council as its interim chief executive officer between February and July, 2023.

He was also a board member for Regional Capitals Australia during this time.

Before that, he worked for 38 years at the City of Gold Coast council in a number of roles including director of city governance, chief operating officer, and acting chief executive officer.

Gold Coast City Council officer Gavin Wheatley, Acting Mayor Donna Gates, former-Chief Operating Officer Joe McCabe, Red Cross Group Account Manager Kristy Purnell and Billy the blood drop at the launch of council's blood drive.

Mr McCabe departed during a giant restructure of management in August 2022, in the wake of the council’s first cultural review in a decade, with its survey drawing a strong response confirming there was poor morale.

Mr Thompson will be responsible for employing Dr Ralston’s permanent replacement – the only council position directly employed by the mayor.

The mayor previously indicated that he was seeking a permanent CEO with extensive local government CEO experience, demonstrated financial management experience, and “a proven track record in transforming the organisational culture”.

Originally published as Joe McCabe named as council’s acting-CEO while a permanent replacement is recruited