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Local Government Chief Executive Officer - Stephen Tindale
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Genetics may have had a small part to do with Stephen Tindale working in local government.
''Both my father and my grandfather were local government CEO''s (chief executive officers) at one time or another (otherwise known as Roads Board Secretary or Shire Clerk back then),'' says Stephen.
Stephen, himself now the Chief Executive Officer of the Town of Cottesloe, started out in local government 27 years ago and since then has held a number of positions during his steady rise to local government''s top job.
''I started off as a Creditors Clerk and then Paymaster at the Shire of Swan. Within three years I had moved on to the position of Assistant Shire Clerk at the Shire of Kulin. A previous fond association with the Pilbara saw me apply for the position of Assistant Shire Clerk at the Shire of East Pilbara in Marble Bar.''
When the position of Shire Clerk at the same shire became available, Stephen was encouraged to apply.
''The place was a bit of a disaster area. Outstanding management and industrial relations problems needed to be resolved. Within six months and at the ripe old age of 30 I found myself heading up the largest Shire in the Western world (geographically speaking) with a workforce of some 60 people. I held the position for almost eight years before taking up the position of Town Clerk at the Town of Narrogin for a similar length of time.''
Now of course Stephen is the CEO of the Town of Cottesloe, a role he has been in for the past four years. Whilst the positions he has held in local government in the past have been a natural-enough progression to his role as a CEO, Stephen says that the early promotion to shire clerk came as a bit of a shock. However,
''With the benefit of hindsight, I started off in a clerical role, broadened my experience in a small country town, gained huge experience in a large mining region, rounded the experience off in a wheatbelt regional centre and now work for an affluent, metropolitan residential suburb.''
Today, Stephen manages a workforce of 40 with a budget of $6.5 million. His key tasks include coordinating and implementing the Council''s strategic plan; ensuring legal compliance in the way the Council and staff undertake their responsibilities and duties; liaising with the Mayor and elected members of the Council; ensuring that the organisational structure is capable of delivering that which is required by the Council and acting as a leader and spokesman for the Town of Cottesloe. As to be expected, there is no such thing as a ''typical'' day for Stephen.
''Mainly because I am a ''jack of all trades and master of none''. Priorities can change at the drop of a hat depending on the pressures being brought to bear from external and internal sources. However, there is little doubt that a large component of the job is providing political advice to both staff and elected members on a whole range of issues so that the Town of Cottesloe is seen to be acting consistently and cohesively as an effective local government unit.''
On one particular day, Stephen''s agenda included vetting the Council''s regular page in the local newspaper, providing advice to the Mayor on a hotel noise complaint and the new town planning scheme, liaising with a town planner on how best to respond to a developer concerning a potential hotel redevelopment as well as providing advice to a Councillor on a ''suspect'' residential development and the state of cleanliness of the Council''s public toilets.
Sound hectic? Well it is, but for Stephen the rewards are great both in the smaller and bigger picture.
''In the short term the most rewarding thing is delivering work and services on time and on budget, despite the unexpected turning up on an almost daily basis. In the long term, local government is hugely rewarding in terms of being able to translate the community''s wishes into action but only with the support of the Council and Council staff. Cooperation and mutual respect is the key to success but often you don''t get to hear about how you have actually touched people''s lives in a beneficial way until many years on. This applies equally to Council staff, community members and Councillors.''
As far as the variety of jobs available within local government goes, Stephen says that there is no shortage. In fact he says, it is ''huge'' and is part of the reason why his job is all the more interesting. From a town planner to secretary to groundsman, there''s at least one job to suit everyone. And it''s not the stagnant industry some might suspect it is.
''Most local governments have held overall numbers of staff down and are therefore constantly looking for new ways of doing things smarter and cheaper through the application of new processes and technology. In other words, it is not a boring industry where things never change. Most ''outsiders'' are often surprised at the depth and substance of local government issues once they join the ranks.''
Stephen''s advice to anyone interested in joining the industry includes being driven by a community service ethic as it is imperative to the industry to provide the community with the best service possible. Once you''ve made it into local government and if your goal is quick promotion, then be prepared to move in order to gain experience in a range of environments. Finally, most local governments value experienced employees. The good news though; is that once you have committed you can look forward to being well looked after.
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Acknowledgements |
Content courtesy of Louise Allan-Johnson. |
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