Middlesbrough Council - News Forum - Setting a light to the News

Ian Parker steps down as Middlesbrough Council chief executive
Evening Gazette Jun 12 2012
MIDDLESBROUGH Council chief executive Ian Parker is to retire later this month.

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The 55-year-old is stepping down from the £152,000-a-year role as part of an ongoing restructure of senior management.
His successor as top officer at the cash-strapped authority is expected to be named soon.
Mr Parker’s departure comes as the authority continues the process of reducing its budget by up to £65m over a five-year period.
And, since his appointment in April 2009, Mr Parker - who has been in local government for 33 years - has worked closely with the borough’s elected Mayor Ray Mallon on a complete overhaul of the council’s structures and finances.
Part of that process has seen the council change the way it operates - becoming smaller and with fewer senior managers.
And Mr Parker’s retirement at the end of June will further reduce the authority’s corporate management Currently, the council has three executive directors - Gill Rollings (children, families and learning), Mike Robinson (adult social care and environment) and Kevin Parkes (regeneration).
Mr Mallon paid tribute to Mr Parker’s leadership during a period of major upheaval arising from the global economic downturn and public sector cuts imposed by the Coalition Government.
“Ian Parker has made a significant contribution to the town, both as an outstanding chief executive over the last three years and in his previous role as the council’s director of environment,” he said.
“The council currently faces a period of unprecedented financial cuts. These will lead to significant changes over the next five years.
“Major savings will include reductions in senior management posts - and Ian’s retirement will contribute to that process.”

Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -31164976/

Monday, June 11, 2012
Message to all staff and councillors from Chief Executive Ian Parker
Dear colleagues,
I wanted to let you know that I will be retiring from my position as Chief Executive at the end of this month.
Over the last three years – and in my previous role as the Council’s Director of Environment – I have enjoyed a position which is undoubtedly challenging, but also personally fulfilling.
This Council is undergoing unprecedented change, both in the way it delivers services and in its own structures.
That transformation is seeing major reductions to our budgets, with fewer jobs and cuts to senior management, and my retirement is part of that process.
After more than three decades in local government, I am leaving with many very fond memories, but I am also looking forward to living life at a different pace and intensity and having the time to enjoy my grandchildren - and maybe even a promotion season for the Boro!
I wish you all the best for the future.
Yours faithfully,
Ian Parker

AlanM
12:25 PM on 12/6/2012
I wonder what golden handshake he'll receive, £152.000 a year and the councils say their having to cut those on the front line should consider cutting more like this and saving a fortune.

banjo
12:30 PM on 12/6/2012
people in this town must be stupid to put these people on a pedestal.£155 thousand a year , fat pension at 55. people struggling to make a living and here we have a life of luxery for services to middlesbrough, the worst town in the UK

JPS19
12:34 PM on 12/6/2012
Every problem is an opportunity.
Middlesbrough should fill this vacancy with a job share with the Chief Exec of Redcar and Cleveland. Saves money and provides an opportunity to share many more services across the South Tees area resulting in cost saving and protecting front line services

davendaph
1:03 PM on 12/6/2012
they all wanna step down ...end career politics! are you going to remove this comment mr gazette censor?
you know they all feather their own nests, serve the corporations first and foremost. see that leveson inquiry, it's a farcical whitewash cos they're all in on the scam... those who make the laws are above the laws.... the best we can ever expect is resignations.

wakeywakey
1:17 PM on 12/6/2012
The government have a legal age for claiming a pension, as Mr Parker is a government employee, his claim for early pension should be made illegal

Clouseau
2:33 PM on 12/6/2012
Lets hope Mima follows him and it will save the tax payers another £1m per year.

northerner
3:08 PM on 12/6/2012
How about a clock for the mantelpiece and a cream tea in the town hall?

Boro_Proud
4:36 PM on 12/6/2012
We should be working towards a single Chief Exec for the whole Tees Valley area. We have a Chief Exec in the 4 Unitary authorities + Darlington. 5 x £152k= 625k on 5 peoples wages - that cant be right! Then each Local Authority will have at least 3 Directors on 80k+. I doub this will happen because the Councillors in each area have their own political agenda and like their own Chief Exec. I know Hartlepool's Chief Exec is onlt acting up so things may change.

tonyd
4:57 PM on 12/6/2012
This presents an opportunity for more shared services with other local Authorities in the Tees Valley.A number of other Councils are sharing Chief Executives so this needs to be given serious consideration given the challenging budget position

LUR1
5:12 PM on 12/6/2012
Obscene.

LUR1
5:15 PM on 12/6/2012
And what a waste of space he's been.

LOOPYLOO
11:22 PM on 12/6/2012
His Boss is the Mayor. The Mayor has had four CEOS
during his ten years in power. Has there been a fall out as it only weeks since the Mayor give him a pay increase when other are subject to a pay freeze. He Is leaving pretty speedily too by the end of the month . Isn't is normal procedure for officers at this level to give more notice. other CEOS given massive pay offs approx 250k each. Will the same be happening here. Wonder why all the chief execs move on pretty quickly, a pattern definetely formed, can't work with the Mayor?

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -31164976/

Search on for new Middlesbrough Council chief
by Sandy McKenzie, Evening Gazette Jun 13 2012
Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -31164976/

AlanM
12:25 PM on 12/6/2012
I wonder what golden handshake he'll receive, £152.000 a year and the councils say their having to cut those on the front line should consider cutting more like this and saving a fortune.

banjo
12:30 PM on 12/6/2012
people in this town must be stupid to put these people on a pedestal.£155 thousand a year , fat pension at 55. people struggling to make a living and here we have a life of luxery for services to middlesbrough, the worst town in the UK

JPS19
12:34 PM on 12/6/2012
Every problem is an opportunity.
Middlesbrough should fill this vacancy with a job share with the Chief Exec of Redcar and Cleveland. Saves money and provides an opportunity to share many more services across the South Tees area resulting in cost saving and protecting front line services

davendaph
1:03 PM on 12/6/2012
they all wanna step down ...end career politics! are you going to remove this comment mr gazette censor?
you know they all feather their own nests, serve the corporations first and foremost. see that leveson inquiry, it's a farcical whitewash cos they're all in on the scam... those who make the laws are above the laws.... the best we can ever expect is resignations.

wakeywakey
1:17 PM on 12/6/2012
The government have a legal age for claiming a pension, as Mr Parker is a government employee, his claim for early pension should be made illegal

Clouseau
2:33 PM on 12/6/2012
Lets hope Mima follows him and it will save the tax payers another £1m per year.

northerner
3:08 PM on 12/6/2012
How about a clock for the mantelpiece and a cream tea in the town hall?

Boro_Proud
4:36 PM on 12/6/2012
We should be working towards a single Chief Exec for the whole Tees Valley area. We have a Chief Exec in the 4 Unitary authorities + Darlington. 5 x £152k= 625k on 5 peoples wages - that cant be right! Then each Local Authority will have at least 3 Directors on 80k+. I doub this will happen because the Councillors in each area have their own political agenda and like their own Chief Exec. I know Hartlepool's Chief Exec is onlt acting up so things may change.

tonyd
4:57 PM on 12/6/2012
This presents an opportunity for more shared services with other local Authorities in the Tees Valley.A number of other Councils are sharing Chief Executives so this needs to be given serious consideration given the challenging budget position

LUR1
5:12 PM on 12/6/2012
Obscene.

LUR1
5:15 PM on 12/6/2012
And what a waste of space he's been.

LOOPYLOO
11:22 PM on 12/6/2012
His Boss is the Mayor. The Mayor has had four CEOS
during his ten years in power. Has there been a fall out as it only weeks since the Mayor give him a pay increase when other are subject to a pay freeze. He Is leaving pretty speedily too by the end of the month . Isn't is normal procedure for officers at this level to give more notice. other CEOS given massive pay offs approx 250k each. Will the same be happening here. Wonder why all the chief execs move on pretty quickly, a pattern definetely formed, can't work with the Mayor?

Indie
11:20 AM on 13/6/2012
When will voters wake up to the fact that Labour run this town - therefore this man's salary had Labour's seal of approval.

Tiresias
11:55 AM on 13/6/2012
"cash strapped authority". £152,000 salary. Enough said?

shabbaranks
12:47 PM on 13/6/2012
I have a spare old toaster they can have for a fiver. It would probably be as much use as any of these mandarins...

Timetogetreal
12:55 PM on 13/6/2012
Assuming he has 30 years service (unlikely to be 40 years given his age) he will retire on a pension of £57k a year (which will obviously be taxed so lets say £45k net after tax) plus £170k tax free lump sum. He can opt to increase his tax free lump sum to £325k and reduce his annual pension to £44k a year (£36k a year after tax)

finnsgran
1:06 PM on 13/6/2012
It is absolutely ludicrous that the Middlesbrough CEO is paid £10,000 more than the Prime Minister. One responsible for 142,000, the other for 62 million people. Whether you agree with the way they do the job or not that has to be wrong. Which brainless idiots voted that him that salary? Well I guess we all know the answer to that question.

Timetogetreal
1:24 PM on 13/6/2012
I can understand the fury over his salary but look at other salaries locally.....he's the lowest paid of the Tees Valley CEs. He gets £10k a year LESS than the Chief Exec of the Tees PCTs and they only have 300 staff but the council has several thousand staff...(and what do they do exactly???)....and he gets a whopping £100k a year LESS than the chief exec of Hardwick hospital - he's on about £250,000 a year (and God knows what salary the chief exec of James Cook is on...).
In total we are looking at well over £2 million a year for the salaries of our chief execs (NHS, police, fire, councils) before we start looking at the cost of all the directors as well
It's about time the public sector reined in these huge salaries to save us the local taxpayer a bit of our hard earned cash

Carey
3:03 PM on 13/6/2012
only one man for this job and that is Mr Schneider CEO from Stockton!

tripehound
3:21 PM on 13/6/2012
They used to be called Town Clerks and actually worked for the good of the town for much less than these characters.
£152 thousand?
I suppose it reflects Middlesbrough's enforced third world status.
The natives struggle to survive while the politicos and their mates pocket the cash.
We may as well get Mugabe to give us some advice on how to ruin the town better.

auction
3:48 PM on 13/6/2012
Ive got some advice..... STOP SEARCHING

Read More http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... -31164976/

Former council boss who left half-way through her four year contract receives £590,000 in one of the biggest local authority payoffs
Former chief exec had led major shake-up of the way the county council was run
Council has now dished out more than £600,000 to pay off last two chief execs
Authority has paid out £10.08m in 'exit packages' to staff made between 2011-2012
By Andrew Levy
PUBLISHED: 16:03, 15 June 2012 | UPDATED: 23:39, 15 June 2012
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1xwVjO0Ld

Why are all councils run by idiots who don't give a dam about tax payers money.
This just prooves the easy come easy go attitude they all have.
STOP WASTING OUR MONEY !!!
- Bill, Buffalow, 15/6/2012 17:35
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z1xwWLiWDs