An outback shire’s former chief executive who is under investigation for misconduct says the Western Australian council seems to value popularity over making hard financial decisions.
Key points:
- Shire of Halls Creek former CEO Phillip Cassell resigned from the council on December 13
- He was the subject of an internal investigation into misconduct allegations
- Mr Cassell said there had been little transparency about what the allegations involved
Phillip Cassell resigned from the Shire of Halls Creek in the state’s north on December 13 after taking up the role in March 2022.
The ABC understands misconduct allegations were raised about Mr Cassell as chief executive late last year in a closed-door item at a council meeting.
He was stood down pending an internal investigation but chose to resign.
In a letter to shire president Malcolm Edward, Mr Cassell said he was frustrated by a lack of transparency regarding the allegations levelled against him and was still unsure what he had been accused of.
Cr Edwards would not make any comment about the nature of the allegations to the ABC and the council was yet to make a public statement regarding Mr Cassell’s appointment.
Musa Mano is acting in Mr Cassell’s position and has also declined to comment.
Mr Cassell said five weeks after he was first made aware of any complaint against him, he still does not know its substance.
“The councillors have shown no commitment to due process or supporting the difficult decisions to return the shire from the brink of bankruptcy to surplus budgets, so I choose not to continue along this path of making the shire a solid financial entity,” he said.
Major projects on the line
A former Queensland construction manager, Mr Cassell had a number of large projects in the pipeline during his tenure.
He was working with the town’s young people to develop a proposal for a local skate park and BMX pump track, as well as an artistic makeover of the main street and Pioneer Park.
Mr Cassell had recently outlined a plan to build 35 culturally appropriate houses on the fringe of the town to ease demand and draw services to Halls Creek.
“If they prefer popularism over being debt free and cashflow positive, then so be it,” he said.
Mr Cassell said the major projects currently underway would likely cease to progress now he had left the council.
Last year Mr Cassell told the ABC he had found significant savings and efficiencies in council operations to keep rate rises down, and his letter of resignation said the shire was now “completely debt free due to his work”.
WA Minister for Local Government Hannah Beazley had been made aware of the resignation.
“The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries is engaging with the shire in relation to these matters,” a spokeswoman said.
“It is standard practice for matters that are subject to an investigation to remain confidential while those investigations are ongoing.”
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