Glenelg Shire chief executive officer Paul Phelan has resigned after just 10 months in the job, and just two days after deputy mayor Jayden Smith quit, citing major behavioural issues within the council.
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The resignations follow the sudden departure of Glenelg's longest serving mayor, Anita Rank, in July 2023.
The Standard understands the state government is deeply concerned about the problems and it's possible a municipal monitor will be appointed to investigate.
While Mr Phelan has resigned as CEO, he will continue in the role until January 9, 2024.
The council made the announcement after an emergency "unscheduled confidential council meeting" at 12pm on October 20.
The council held the meeting just minutes after The Standard inquired about whether Mr Phelan had decided to quit.
The council declined to say whether the government had met with council representatives about the behavioural problems within the organisation.
It also declined to say whether the possibility of appointing a municipal monitor had been raised.
Mr Phelan said he was resigning for personal reasons.
"I would like to thank my executive team and all council staff," he said.
"They have my full backing for all the wonderful work they do on behalf of our community."
It was the second high-profile departure from the council in 24 hours after Cr Smith announced his immediate resignation on Thursday. He had quit the previous day.
In the official council release Cr Smith thanked the council staff, but did not mention his fellow councillors.
"I wish all the staff the best and I appreciate the opportunity to have the role that I had," Cr Smith said.
"Every staff member at council does such a good job."
In public comments following his departure, Cr Smith said he was torn by the decision but could no longer work with some of the other councillors because of their poor "behaviour" and "ideals".
It is possible another councillor will leave within the next week.
The Standard understands the councillor group has become increasingly fractured and factional over the past 18 months, due largely to a divisive community campaign over rate increases.
Glenelg ratepayers on farming properties had been receiving significant rebates on their rates for more than a decade because of the way the council managed its rate charges. In 2010-11 the system had only represented a $1 million cost to the council, but by 2021-22 it had become a $3.5 million drag on revenue.
The council was also informed the rebate farmers had been claiming every year was only for "exceptional circumstances" such as natural disasters, making the arrangement an infringement of the Local Government Act. As a result, it announced in 2022 it would switch to a system charging different rates in the dollar for different land types. The new system represented a hit to many ratepayers but farmers faced the heftiest blow.
Four particular ratepayers launched a strong and often hostile campaign against the changes. The lobbying and community pressure created strain between the councillors themselves and caused some to unfairly blame council staff for not addressing the issue.
South West Coast MP Roma Britnell said the councillors needed to remember their top priority was the local community.
"I have spoken at length today with the Minister for Local Government about the concerning situation at Glenelg Shire Council and she has agreed to work together on a bipartisan basis to get the council back on the right track," Ms Britnell said.
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