Luton councillors have agreed that the authority’s chief executive can be shared with two other councils.
Last month the council announced that it wanted to share Trevor Holden with Breckland Council in Norfolk and South Holland District Council, in Lincolnshire, for three months.
It called it a “ground-breaking solution” to help the two other authorities, who have shared a chief exec for two years, while they searched for a new boss.
At a full meeting of Luton Borough Council on Tuesday night, Lib Dem councillors queried the ‘get out clause’ in the contract and said the council would have a “part-time chief executive”.
Council leader Hazel Simmons said: “Forty per cent of Trevor’s time will be spent with the others, that will give 60 per cent to Luton. “This was agreed for three months to help out and show that partnership working between local authorities can work.
“We will see how it works and if there are issues then we will look at it again. At the moment we are going forward with this and I don’t know what the issue is.”
Labour councillor Robin Harris called the Lib Dems “bonkers” for questioning a plan that would save money.
“Eric Pickles has said one of the things he wants councils to do is share resources. A council has come along and is willing to pay for a service.
“Knowing Trevor Holden I know that he will put extra hours into Luton and we will get a terrific service and get more for less.
“In other areas chief execs’ pay is going through the roof but Trevor isn’t taking a penny more. Every penny is going to come back to Luton.”
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