Did Mayor lie about ex-chief executive pay-off?

Greens councillors will be asking the Labour Mayor next week why the Council’s ex-chief executive received a £196,000 severance package, half of which was discretionary, following a report that confirms their concerns over the process used and it’s lack of transparency.

Councillor Paula O’Rourke, who has been raising her concerns about the situation for many months said:

“We need to know why the Mayor mislead the people of Bristol by telling us this payment was entirely contractual.  And why was it not brought to the Council’s HR committee as it should have been? Even now there are so many unanswered questions. Despite promises of transparency councillors and the public have only been allowed to see a small part of the report into what actually happened. Why won’t the Mayor give us straight answers?”  

Councillor Fi Hance added:

“What we are asking is simple. We just want to know why this payment was made and who decided to make it. Yet we still don’t have these answers.”

Councillors will get a chance to ask their questions to the Mayor on Tuesday 19^th March. They will also be able to ask questions of clarification to BDO, the external auditors tasked with looking into what happened. The questions Greens have submitted are here>>.