Lib Dems welcome U-Turn on Chief Executive

The news that Brentwood will no longer be sharing joint Chief Executive Joanna Killian with Essex County Council has been welcomed by Lib Dem leader Cllr David Kendall and his colleagues on the Borough Council. The controversial County Partnership was supported by both Conservative and Labour councillors.

The Liberal Democrats were against Brentwood having a joint Chief Executive from the day it was first announced back in 2007 and have campaigned against the decision ever since. They have always called for Brentwood to have it's own chief but for over four years the Conservatives have refused to listen.

It's taken over four years for the Tories to finally admit they got it wrong and performed yet another U-Turn. During this time taxpayer monies have been wasted on a salary higher than that of the Prime Minister, locally based services such as Highways and Planning have been shipped out of Brentwood and our accounts have not been signed off twice, with the borough incurring significant audit fees thanks to the remote partnership arrangements.

Cllr Kendall said:

"The joint Chief Executive issue has shown once again that the Liberal Democrats were right to stick to our guns and not back down on the major issues facing Brentwood.

"On the future of the Town Hall, Lighting Up Brentwood, the state of our accounts and now the joint Chief Executive we have spoken up and put the needs of Brentwood's residents first every time. Tory councillors may accuse us of "opposition for opposition's sake" but if they had listened more to what we were saying rather than being so intent on steamrolling decisions through, they would have not only saved a lot of time and money but would have got a better deal for our residents from the start.

"The legacy of this disastrous period of local government will no doubt continue for years to come but Liberal Democrats in Brentwood will continue to put the financial health and welfare of Brentwood and its residents first."