Councillors hold private meeting opposing Chief Executive’s plans

CONCERNS Some Mayo county councillors have expressed concern about changes Mayo County Council Chief Executive Peter Hynes is making to management structure at the authority.

Councillors to seek special meeting to air grievances with Chief Executive

Anton McNulty

TENSIONS between members of Mayo County Council and its Chief Executive, Peter Hynes, are set to come to a head after councillors held a private meeting to vent their dissatisfaction at changes Mr Hynes is proposing to make to the Council.
The Mayo News learned that up to 20 Fianna FΡil, Fine Gael and Independent councillors held a meeting in the Breaffy House Hotel last Wednesday where they expressed their displeasure at proposals by Mr Hynes to change the role of director of services despite councillors’ opposition to the plan. Sinn Féin councillors were invited but unable to make the meeting.
It is within the remit of the Chief Executive to make changes to the restructuring of the Council without councillors approval.
However, councillors believe that the current proposals go too far and will erode the functions of Municipal Districts. They want a Director of Services to remain in charge of each of the four Municipal Districts.
Tensions between the councillors and Mr Hynes has been brewing for a number of weeks, with many believing their proposals are being ignored by the Council executive.
Fine Gael councillor Jarlath Munnelly confirmed to The Mayo News that the councillors have called for a special meeting of Mayo County Council where they will outline their grievances to the Chief Executive. This decision was unanimously backed by the councillors present and the special meeting is expected to take place next week.
Cllr Munnelly said there was ‘strong feeling across the Council Chamber’ at what they see as the ‘movement of staff from the Municipal Districts into the centre’ in Castlebar. He added they were annoyed that having asked for a report on changes to the municipal districts, Mr Hynes had already gone ahead with the changes, which he said was ‘not good enough’.
“I am not saying Peter Hynes has done anything wrong … I am saying I disagree with him and a lot of councillors are of the same opinion. The fact is a lot of councillors are not being listened to by him … I do not expect to be listened to all of the time, but if it is the will of the Council to go in a certain direction then he has to listen to that and take that view on board. If he does not, then lets see what happens,” he said.
One councillor told The Mayo News that unhappiness between the councillors and the executive has been brewing for a number of months. “The organisation appears to be run like a private company by a few individuals rather than as a County Council.”
Another councillor said it would be ‘unwise’ for the Chief Executive not to listen to the councillors given the cross party consensus against the current restructuring proposals.