Toowoomba council CEO Brian Pidgeon’s contract extended despite opposition from councillors Rebecca Vonhoff, Bill Cahill, Melissa Taylor, Nancy Sommerfield

Council CEO Brian Pidgeon’s contract will be extended again, but the decision was not without controversy after four councillors voted against it.

Toowoomba Regional Council CEO Brian Pidgeon.

The CEO of the Toowoomba Regional Council has survived a push to oust him, with four councillors expressing a desire to see a change of leadership at the top of the organisation.

Brian Pidgeon, who has been the region’s top public servant for a decade and earns more than $400,000 a year, will have his contract extended following a 7-4 vote at Tuesday’s ordinary meeting.

Councillors Rebecca Vonhoff, Bill Cahill, Melissa Taylor and Nancy Sommerfield all voted against his renewal, citing a desire to see changes in leadership at the top of the council and issues with the organisation’s current culture.

The vote followed a lengthy confidential debate, which saw all council officers exit the chambers including Mr Pidgeon.

Mr Pidgeon, who is the council’s longest-serving CEO following two short-lived previous appointments, has been seen as a stable voice behind the scenes.

However, the organisation received heavy criticism last year after staff surveys revealed the vast majority of bullying and harassment incidents were not being formally reported.

Ms Taylor said she voted for a change of CEO due to “deficiencies” she had identified within the council’s culture, saying it would benefit from a fresh perspective in the top role.

“I believe that the organisation has outgrown the person in that role and that skillset,” she said.

“My belief is the past two staff surveys have been very concerning, and there are deficiencies regarding culture and leadership.

“We’ve also had an underspend in capital, and I think the organisation needs to drive innovation and efficiency.

“We need some new blood in the role looking at those issues.”

Cr Nancy Sommerfield.

Ms Sommerfield said Mr Pidgeon’s lengthy tenure in the role was a reason to explore other options.

She also appeared to indicate some staff had been dissatisfied with Mr Pidgeon’s leadership.

“Brian has been with us for 10 years — we’re now a $5bn asset-based business, and I believe we’re ready for fresh ideas,” Ms Sommerfield said.

“We should be throwing the net far and wide and get a different perspective and different leadership.

“We’ve been contacted by various staff and community members about this issue.”

Mr Cahill said his decision to vote against Mr Pidgeon’s extension was purely about the desire to look at whether the current leadership was serving the community’s interests.

Bill Cahill. Photo Bev Lacey

“This is not about the individual, it’s about the position on the responsibility of the council to ensure we’re doing our utmost to ensure we’re exploring the best options – this is not personal,” he said.

“It’s prudent for any organisation to make an assessment on whether this is the leader who is the best fit to move into the next phases.”

Mr Cahill was also critical of the amount of information made available to councillors to decide on the extension, saying it was “disrespectful to the boardroom”.

Toowoomba Regional Council Water and Waste Committee chair Cr Rebecca Vonhoff.

Ms Vonhoff, who posted on social media before the meeting that the vote was the biggest decision the councillors could make, declined to comment.

Mayor Paul Antonio, who has been a supporter of Mr Pidgeon’s for many years, said he represented a smart choice for the organisation.

“Brian and I have a good working relationship, and if you reflect on the past 10 years there is a lot that has happened,” he said.

Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio.

“I’m very comfortable to work with Brian, as are the majority of the councillors.

“Brian is meeting his obligations, he’s working extremely hard on culture.

“I’ve worked with a number of CEOs, and Brian is a particularly stable leader.”

Councillor Megan O’Hara Sullivan said Mr Pidgeon deserved an extension as a reward for the organisation’s growth over the past decade.

“I think Brian is a bit like an iceberg, there are the things you see on the top, and then there’s a whole lot more engagement and calmness and methodically dealing with things underneath,” she said.

“We have had an unprecedented period of growth, and I think there has been $800m invested in the CBD since he started, so you’d have to give some sort of credit to the organisation and the leadership for that.”

Councillor James O’Shea also endorsed Mr Pidgeon’s performance, saying he had met all key performance indicators set by the council.

“I was comfortable to support the reappointment of the CEO based on the fact that in the report, he’d met all the KPIs, he’d been assessed and reached all of the KPIs,” he said.

“There are obviously areas and rooms for improvement, but we’re moving in the right direction.”

Councillors Carol Taylor and Tim McMahon also backed Mr Pidgeon’s extension for similar reasons.

“Our CEO is the only staff member we employ and I’m satisfied with the way the vote has gone,” Ms Taylor said.

“I’ve worked with eight CEOs and you have to be mindful that over the fence is not always greener.”

Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald and councillor Kerry Shine were contacted for comment.

The details of Mr Pidgeon’s contract, including length and salary, will be determined at a future confidential meeting.