BURY Council should consider merging the role of chief executive with a neighbouring authority such as Bolton, according to Bury's Conservative group.

In a motion to be debated at next Wednesday's full council meeting, the party says council leaders should either:

  • share the role with neighbouring authorities
  • scrap the role entirely and delegate its responsibilities to other senior leaders
  • re-appoint a chief executive with a reduced salary.

Cllr Iain Gartside, Bury's Tory leader, said the move could save the council money, which could then be allocated to frontline services.

He said: "There are quite a few councils doing this up and down the country; it is not a new idea.

"We feel that Mike Kelly served the town very well, especially in terms of the regeneration of the town centre, and it would be a priority to keep that on track.

"But the council has more savings that need to be made to get the deficit paid off, and this is something that would help with that.

"We are putting forward several options, and we are calling on a cross-party committee to be established to look at the options and decide on the best one.

"The chief executive role at Bolton Council is about to become vacant, so it is an option that should be considered."

Mike Kelly, the council's current chief executive, is set to retire in March after reaching the age of 65.

Sean Harriss, the current chief executive at Bolton Council, is also set to move on in March to take on the same role in the London borough of Lambeth.

When Mr Kelly took over the role from Mark Sanders in 2011, he accepted a pay cut of around £13,000, as his predecessor was paid about £160,000.

It is understood that Mike Owen, currently Bury Council’s executive director of resources and regulation, is set to be installed as chief executive for a six-month period, before a permanent successor to Mr Kelly is announced.

A Bury Council spokesman said: "“The all-party Human Resources and Appeals Panel is meeting today (Thursday) to discuss the appointment of an interim chief executive, so it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage."

Cllr Gartside said no discussions had taken place between Bury and Bolton councils, and that the proposals are currently at an early stage.

He said the possibility of sharing the chief executive role between the council's three current executive directors, Mike Owen, Mark Carriline and Pat Jones-Greenhalgh, should also be considered.

Cllr Gartside added: "They have all been at the council for many years, and are very experienced and competent individuals on six figure salaries, so that is another option."

The motion will be discussed by councillors at the meeting, at Bury Town Hall, from 7pm.