GREATER Dandenong Council CEO John Bennie is on indefinite sick leave.
His condition has not been made public but during discussions about approving his absence at the 11 April council meeting, councillor Roz Blades said: “Everybody reacts differently to this level of surgery.”
A council report recommended endorsing sick leave for Mr Bennie from 30 March for “an indefinite period” and for corporate services director Mick Jaensch to step into the CEO role.
But Cr Maria Sampey called for a time limit to be placed on the leave.
She said Mr Bennie should have all the time off he needed but that councillors should have the opportunity to review the situation.
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable of doing the job, Mr Jaensch,” she said.
Cr Sampey abstained from voting on the motion after her requests for an end date went unsupported. The 10 other councillors voted in favour.
Mr Jaensch indicated that Mr Bennie was likely to return at the end of May.
