Questions over ‘sacking’ of CEO

By Shaun Inguanzo
A LEGAL opinion could decide whether departing Greater Dandenong CEO Carl Wulff finishes this week or at the end of the month.
Council officers are unsure whether an 11th-hour objection by Springvale South Ward councillor Yvonne Herring to council’s decision to install an Acting CEO immediately is valid.
Mr Wulff, who recently gave notice, was given a day’s notice to pack his bags and stand down from the CEO position when councillors voted for a former City of Springvale CEO to take his place as a fill-in before councillors find a new CEO in coming months.
One councillor stormed from the chamber in protest of a behind-closed-doors discussion. Dandenong North Ward councillor John Kelly fought this week to have the discussion that determined Mr Wulff’s termination made public.
But, apart from Cr Herring, who was also opposed to the in-camera meeting, he failed to win the support of the council. City of Greater Dandenong mayor Peter Brown closed the chamber and asked members of the public and council officers to leave the room. Minutes later, he ann-ounced to members of the press that former City of Springvale CEO Bryan Pryce would take the seat as Greater Dandenong’s acting CEO, replacing Mr Wulff as of today.
Cr Brown denied the move was fuelled by personal differences but said the public should not forget comments made by Mr Wulff to press earlier this year.
“The present CEO gave notice to resign two years into a five-year contract and said he didn’t have confidence in this council,” Cr Brown said.
Cr Brown said Mr Pryce and Mr Wulff were from two different schools of thought and he hoped Mr Pryce would be able to help cut costs in the draft 2006/07 council budget.
Cr Kelly told press outside the chamber that the decision to discuss Mr Wulff’s termination behind closed doors was ‘weak leadership’ by Cr Brown.
“They have no guts to go hiding behind closed doors just to discuss a person’s details,” he said.
“This council needed to move forward and be open and transparent but now we’ve just kicked the people in the teeth.”
Mr Pryce, a financial consultant with JSP Group in Berwick, starts as acting CEO at Greater Dandenong council today.