Liberal Democrat Mayor Dave Hodgson has been slammed for overseeing a ‘full blown recruitment crisis’ which is set to cost taxpayers £279k.
Figures obtained by the Council’s Conservative Group show the Council is relying heavily on agency staff to fill vacancies in its Environment directorate which includes waste management, planning and highways.
As of the end of October, the Council had 94 vacancies in Environment with 66 agency staff plugging the gaps, resulting in a projected staffing overspend of £279k by the end of 2018/19.
Conservative Budget Spokesperson Cllr Roger Rigby said:
‘Mayor Hodgson complains relentlessly about the Council’s funding position but it is time to look at his own record.
‘Overspending the staff budget by £279k in a single department raises serious questions over the Mayor’s ability to manage the Council’s restructure on which it is relying to meet its financial challenge.
'Taxpayers are footing the bill for the Mayor’s incompetent management.’