The Roles and Responsibilities of Chief Executive Officers and Councillors in Australian Local Government: A Corporate Governance Perspective

Abstract

During the 1980s the respective functions of elected members and appointed officials became in increasingly problematic issue across the Australian local government sector. The expected roles and responsibilities attached to each group were vague in intent and often not adhered to. This situation had significant implications for the quality of local governance. Senior managers who exercised too much influence weakened the democratic legitimacy of the decision-making process, while councillors who interfered too readily in the details of administration undermined the overall efficiency of the organisation. Ongoing power struggles between councillors and management, and within the management arm itself, tended to exacerbate both problems.