REGARDING your article on the early departure of ToG CEO Henry Inat, how much extra rate payer revenue was gifted to him as an incentive to depart four months early?
Mr Inat went on extended leave the day after council decided in late October 2023 not to give him yet another uncontested contract roll-over, and he went on extended leave despite Mayor Redman assuring us all in her media release that Mr Inat won’t miss a beat in serving the Gawler community right up to the end of his contract in June 2024.
Many observed that two secret special council meetings were called at short notice titled “staffing matter”, one just before Mr Inat returned in early February 2024, and the other just a few days after he returned.
My belief is that a bare majority of councillors agreed with a proposal to pay Mr Inat a huge sum, at least equivalent to the amount he would have “earned” over the next four months, as an incentive for him to pack up early and go.
That would be on top of his accrued entitlements – an undeserved golden handshake at rate payers expense!
If this is true, and Mayor Redman needs to come clean on this, then no wonder council’s debt is ballooning, when I believe our council wastes money on a totally unnecessary golden handshake to a CEO that didn’t earn it.
Transparency in the use of our ratepayer revenue demands that Mayor Redman come clean and tell us the truth.
Ian Tooley,
Gawler East
Editor’s note: After speaking with the Local Government Association prior to the story in question, The Bunyip understands council is bound by confidentiality agreements under the Local Government Act 1999 regarding employee contracts of this nature.
