Top jobs at City of York Council under threat

SOME of the top jobs in York look set to go under a massive shake-up at cash-strapped City of York Council.

This afternoon, the authority’s chief executive Kersten England revealed plans to merge the current six directorates into four.

The move could see two of the six directors’ jobs being made redundant, and up to 34 managerial jobs out of 360 across the council, saving £1.2 million to £1.6 million a year.

The proposals are part of the More for York drive, which is aimed at saving the council £15 million over the next three years.

Full details of the proposals will be presented to councillors on December 15. One option is to reduce the number of directorates from six to five, but Mrs England is advocating a reduction to four.

The six current directors, who would be competing for the four remaining jobs, are Sally Burns, Pete Dwyer, Ian Floyd, Bill Hodson, Heather Rice and Bill Woolley.

Mrs England said: “Reductions will fall more heavily at the more senior level because I want to maintain levels at the front line.

“I want a smaller, tighter leadership team so that we can work together.”

Labour leader David Scott, whose party has proposed such managerial cuts in the past two budgets, said the council could have saved £2 million if it had implemented the moves earlier.

Council leader Andrew Waller said the ruling executive would examine the proposals carefully before making a decision on December 15.