News / Protest at isles council boss payout
OUTRAGED Shetlanders are planning a rally at Lerwick’s Market Cross, today (Monday) in protest against the council’s intention to pay its controversial chief executive David Clark £250,000 to make him leave his post.
Councillors met in private on Friday afternoon and said afterwards that they had agreed on a position which was now to be discussed with the chief executive’s legal team.
As details of the offer leaked out over the weekend, islanders expressed their disbelief over the amount of money on the table.
Forty-four year old Mr Clark, who has been the chief executive for just eight months, is currently on leave.
He left his office at the end of January following a series of high profile fall outs with elected members.
On Thursday it emerged that Shetland police had re-opened an investigation into allegations that Mr Clark had threatened violence against Lerwick councillor Jonathan Wills, in September last year.
In an unprecedented move, islanders are now planning to hold a public protest and picket Lerwick Town Hall, at noon on Monday.
This follows on from a petition asking the council not to agree to a golden handshake, which was signed by 1,300 islanders and handed in to Lerwick town hall on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Shetland MSP Tavish Scott has called on the council to come clean and speak openly in a bid to resolve the turmoil in Lerwick town hall.
“Shetlanders are desperately worried about their islands at the moment. There are massive economic issues we face and this is where the council’s attention should be.
“Instead, as lots of people said to me over the weekend, the council is in the middle of a matter where they have to be open with the public.”
He added: “People simply don’t understand how there can be a joint agreement proposed for next week when police is investigating the current chief executive.”
In a letter to the local media, Lerwick residents Kathy Greaves and petition organiser Ian Inkster said Mr Clark had tarnished Shetland’s reputation.
“The overwhelming feeling amongst the public is one of outrage, anger and disbelief at the latest decision by the council to pay a large amount of money to the outgoing chief executive,” they said.
Mrs Greaves added that she hoped that as many people as possible would attend Monday’s protest
Meanwhile, it emerged that councillors were told on Friday not to be under the illusion to carry on as before.
Since hardly anybody would be expected to apply for the post of chief executive of Shetland Islands Council, should it be advertised, it now appears to be highly likely that for the foreseeable future the job will be taken on by a representative form the local authority umbrella group CoSLA.
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