Official Information Request - CE Resignation

Sent: Wednesday, 27 September 2023 10:31 am
Subject: LGOIMA request - Chief Executive's resignation

I refer to your LGOIMA request of 13 September 2023 regarding the resignation of the Chief Executive, and respond below:

• Any email, text or recollection of spoken conversations between council staff or elected members including the mayor relating to the resignation of Geoff Williams. (Internal and external, since election)
• Any email/memo/ recollection of spoken conversation Geoff Williams sent staff/elected members informing them of his resignation.
• Geoff Williams' performance reviews for the last five years.

The Ombudsman Guide to Privacy, available online, makes it clear that where the disclosure of information would intrude on a person’s privacy more than it would benefit the public interest, the information should be withheld. Examples of such intrusion are, by affecting their dignity or their mental or emotional wellbeing, by damaging their reputation, or by exposing them to unwanted contact or attention.

Given the high privacy interest inherent with:

• emails, text, or conversations between council staff or elected members relating to the resignation of the Chief Executive
• email/memo/conversations the Chief Executive may have had with staff/elected members informing them of his resignation
• Chief Executive’s performance reviews

RLC considers this would outweigh any public interest in such documents. This part of your request is therefore declined under Privacy Principle 11 of the Privacy Act (s22 of the Act) and s7(2)(a) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

We can, however, provide you with the attached emails:

• CE Geoff Williams to all staff – sent at 5pm on Monday 11 September
• Mayor Tania Tapsell to all staff – sent at 9.34am on 12 September
• Mayor Tania Tapsell to external organisations – sent at 10.36am on Tuesday 12 September

Questions:

• When did he resign?
  Monday 11 September
• What was the reason given?
  Personal reasons
• Is this anything to do with the recent restructure?
  No
• Is there any payout associated with his leaving council? (details of this?)
  Withheld as above - Privacy Principle 11 and s7(2)(a) LGOIMA
• What was his salary?
  2022/23 year - $390,899 plus $17,371 vehicle, total remuneration of $408,270
• How is this set and will this change under a new chief executive?
  Salary is set by the Mayor and elected members as employers of the Chief Executive, based on Strategic Pay’s job evaluation framework methodology. Salary for any new Chief Executive is not known at this stage.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this response/decision. The Ombudsman’s Office can be contacted by calling 0800 802 602, emailing info@ombudsman.parliament.nz, online at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz, or by post to The Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

Publication of responses to LGOIMA requests

Please note: Our LGOIMA responses may be published on the Rotorua Lakes Council website after they have been responded to, with requesters’ personal details withheld. If you have any concerns about this please contact the Council on info@rotorualc.nz.

Regards