Northumberland County Council to appoint interim monitoring officer

The council had been looking to appoint a permanent replacement for current interim Suki Binjal as part of ongoing efforts to appoint a new executive team, putting an end to long-standing interim arrangements at the top of the authority.

However, due to what was described as a “tight market” for monitoring officers, the council has been forced to once again explore interim options.

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It now looks set to appoint an as-yet unidentified candidate to the role on a two-year contract, subject to the approval of full council.

At a meeting of the council’s staff and appointments committee, it was explained that the candidate is likely to retire at the end of the contract.

It is hoped he will be able to develop “existing talent” at the council so that a potential successor will be available when this contract does come to an end. 

Speaking at the meeting, council leader Glen Sanderson was in a positive mood.

He said: “It’s a challenge for every council. There are not many monitoring officers around.

"We have come to the conclusion that this particular gentleman is an absolutely fantastic choice. It suits him and us to make this a two-year contract. We have some absolute stars in our ranks that will be able to step up to the role.

“I think this is fantastic news because the team is now all picked to take us forward on this incredibly improved place we’ve got to.”

If approved by full council, the new monitoring officer is expected to start work in June.

A monitoring officer is a statutory role for local authorities and acts as the council’s top lawyer.

According to the Government website, it is the role of a monitoring officer to report on matters they believe to be illegal or amount to maladministration, to be responsible for matters relating to the conduct of councillors and officers and to be responsible for the operation of the council’s constitution.