A General Manager who was shown the door due to lousy performance pocketed a cool $98K from Huon Valley Council, it has been revealed.
Former General Manager of the Huon Valley Council, Jason Browne, officially departed council under a cloud of secrecy on 3 October 2023, though was last seen in his office well before that date.
HVC Mayor Sally Doyle said in a media release:
“The Huon Valley Council will be farewelling Jason Browne following his resignation from the position of General Manager, after two years in the role. Mr Browne’s last day with Council will be Tuesday 3 October 2023.”
Browne was given the option to resign or to be dismissed after again failing what was his second GM performance review, and he was sent on his way with a golden handshake payout of $98,308.
His payout is described in the 2023/2024 Annual Report as a termination payment.
That is $98,308 of ratepayers money. No councilor and no staff member will suffer from this substantial hit on council’s finances.
Browne served 2 years and 12 days in the GM role. Any annual leave owing will have been minimal. Browne was frequently on leave, and frequently absent from his office when there was inclement weather impacting his journey to the council offices in Huonville.
Whilst serving his two years as General Manager of the Huon Valley Council, Browne’s salary and benefits package, including his payout, totaled $727,806.
An account of Browne’s history within the Huon Valley Council is detailed here.
Information obtained from the Huon Valley Council through the Right To Information process around the flawed GM process costs include
- Recruitment fees Red Giant $25,703.40,
- Legal fees Edge Legal $18,293
- Legal fees Simmons Wolfhagen $7,273.20.
- Conflict of Interest training for councillors provided by WLF Accounting and Advisory $7,920
- Simmons Wolfhagen were again engaged to provide legal advice on the termination/resignation of Browne at an additional $7.408.50.
Recruitment fees, legal fees and councilor training over the Browne debacle total $66,597 of ratepayers’ monies over and above his termination payout of $98,308. Because of the failure of the councilors at the time they undertook enforced conflict of interest training, with only Doyle remaining as an ongoing councilor in the following election.
Browne failed his first annual performance review in October 2022 and the then Acting Mayor Sally Doyle said … “the performance of the General Manager, Jason Browne, has been satisfactory based on the score of 6 out of 10.”
Tasmanian Times was informed some of the scores were well below 5 out of 10, and not 6 out of 10 as reported by Doyle.
Despite a merely satisfactory score, Browne received a 6.5% pay rise which amounted to an increase of $13,000. The increase saw his remuneration package climb to $259,175.
The controversial Edge Legal report into the flawed GM recruitment process that cost ratepayers $18,293 has never been made publicly available.
When a public question was put to Mayor Doyle about the amount of the payout, council’s response was “Any costs associated with the departure of the General Manager are confidential personnel matters.”
On 30 October Tasmanian Times forwarded a Right to Information request to the Huon Valley Council in pursuit of further information pertaining to all the costs associated with the flawed GM recruitment process and Browne’s time as GM. Council refused to reveal the extent of the ratepayer funded payout. An external review with the Ombudsman referenced section 12 of the Right to Information Act 2009 that this information will be made available within 12 months of the requested information, which is the meeting of 30 October 2024.
The Deputy Ombudsman stated that;
“While was is (sic) open to Council under the Act to provide this information at an earlier date, it is also open to Council to rely upon s12(3)(c)(ii) to refuse to do so and the Ombudsman does not have the power to direct this to occur in those circumstances.”
A public question put on notice to Council in time for the 30 October 2024 meeting asked
“Will Council please explain the reason why this matter has been kept a secret from ratepayers for the past 12 months following the departure of Jason Browne?”
There was no answer given in the published Agenda. The same public question has since been asked a second time as a question without notice for the 30 October 2024 ordinary meeting of council.
Some seven months on following his termination from the Huon Valley Council, the Latrobe Council issued a media release stating
“With the impending retirement of Council’s long-serving General Manager, Gerald Monson, and following a thorough recruitment process, the Kentish and Latrobe Councils are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Jason Browne to the position for a five-year term.”
Browne waltzed into another GM role with a starting salary of $270,000 for his duties to Latrobe Council, however, his total remuneration package is unknown.
Mayor Peter Freshney has personally managed and negotiated Browne’s contract. In addition to his Latrobe package he also receives an additional cash component for his duties to Kentish Council.
Tasmanian Times is of the understanding that none of the Latrobe or Kentish councillors are aware of his total package apart from Mayor Freshney, and perhaps Mayor Haberle.
At the time of his recruitment, Councillor Claudia Baldock from Latrobe Council cut to the chase when she asked: “why are Latrobe and Kentish Councils being pushed to secretly fast track a vote for a new General Manager?”
“Given his public persona and notoriety, and then with his history being outed, Tasmanian Times considers reporting of this ongoing saga is still very much in the public interest; given previous missteps in the Huon Valley, Browne’s appointment to the Kentish and Latrobe Councils is of potential harm to the community,” she said.
The GM recruitment committee who shortlisted the candidates consisted of Mayor Peter Freshney (Latrobe), Mayor Kate Haberle (Kentish) and two councillors from each council.
The councillors involved in this GM recruitment process were told they must not conduct their own informal reference checks due to ‘privacy’, and that all copies of notes and reports following the interviews are to be destroyed.
Councillor Baldock’s full public statement is here
On reviewing the live video streams of the July, August and September 2024 Latrobe Council meetings, it is evident little has changed with Browne’s participation in public council meetings. Browne was totally silent and he did not utter a word in any of these three meetings. Mayor Freshney did all the talking, and took public questions on notice rather than provide any responses there and then.
At the 23 September 2024 Latrobe meeting, ratepayer Roxley Felmingham asked:
“(in) What state of Australia is Mr Browne a member of the CPA as they are not aware of him in Victoria and South Australia?”
Acting Mayor Mead thanked Mr Felmingham for his question and advised the question will be taken on notice and a response provided.
Browne was present at the meeting and simply nodded (or perhaps whispered as it is hard to discern from the video recording) to the Acting Mayor, rather than himself answer this very straightforward public question direct to the ratepayer there and then.
The follow up response provided in the 28 October 2024 Agenda states
This question is not being answered as it does not comply with Council’s Public Participation and Question Time – Council Meeting Policy, under reasons for Refusal of Questions, specifically clauses:
- relates to the personal affairs or actions of Council staff or Councillors;
- is proffered to advance a particular point of view rather than making a genuine enquiry; and
- is vague in nature or irrelevant to Council activities.
In the July-August 2024 issue of the Latrobe Council Coast and Country News and Views newsletter no mention is made of Browne’s two years with the Huon Valley Council.
“Describing his style of leadership and community engagement as being an active listener Mr Browne is seeking to forge deep connections and positive relationships between Council and more of the community through regular exchanges of information and respectful conversations, creating an empowering environment with clear direction to guide good decision making by those empowered.”
“I have worked across many different industries and under the direction of some incredible leaders. My career in the banking and finance sectors provided a strong focus on creating a positive customer experience, building strong skills in governance, risk management and financial management, and allowed me to find my love of working with people, something I’ve not experienced in any other industry or business like in Local Government.”
“With qualifications in economics, finance, human resources and a fellow member of CPA Australia, I am comfortable working with people, numbers and budgets.”
Meanwhile there is much ongoing community interest in the Latrobe and Kentish councils with a number of active ratepayers closely following the machinations of these councils.
Further documented details on the history of this ongoing saga are available via the links below.
Calls For HVC Mayor To Stand Down over Clouded General Manager Resignation
