Big payout questioned
Locals have slammed a $370,000 payout for former Glenorchy Council GM Peter Brooks.
Mr Brooks received $369,000 from Glenorchy ratepayers in the last financial year, despite his employment having ended in November.
Documents obtained under right to information laws have revealed Mr Brooks received the large payout, including a $192,841 termination payment.
At the same time, Glenorchy residents are facing a 12.5 per cent rate rise this year after years of dysfunction and infighting at the council.
Phil Butler from the Glenorchy Ratepayers Group said the payment was a “disgrace”.
“The money paid out to Brooks and his deputy quite frankly is a disgrace, an absolute disgrace,” he told the ABC.
“When you add it to the added cost of paying other staff to do their work while they stayed at home twiddling their thumbs, it must be close to a million dollars.”
This all comes in the wake of a damning Integrity Commission that found Mr Brooks and his lawyer had pushed for changes to own contract in 2016 that would have provided him with a payout of 12 months' salary or the remainder of his contract (up to five years), if he was sacked for poor performance.
“Mr Brooks sought to increase his termination entitlements due to his concern that his employment would be terminated as a result of the board of inquiry process,” the Integrity Commission found.