Bournemouth Borough Council will be facing redundancy payouts of £475,000 as the council’s current director, Jane Portman, has announced her departure.
Dorset’s nine authorities will soon become two unitary councils in April, and a few candidates have missed out on the council chief executive role in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, which led to the exit of Ms Portman.
Ms Portman has worked for Bournemouth Borough Council for 12 years and and previously at Poole for four years. She had applied for a top position at the new council but fell short to HM chief land register, Graham Farrant.
The chief executive roles at Christchurch and Poole councils will also be lost, and they will be combined with Mr Farrant’s new position.
Dorset County, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, Weymouth & Portland and West Dorset councils will form a second council.
Dorset County Council boss Debbie Ward said she would leave with the same payout.
According to the Dorset authority, in August, their redundancy costs for four chief executives costs up to £1m.
Ms Portman will continue her role in council until March. She is now in queue for a £117,000 redundancy payout and a pension contribution of £355,000.
Bournemouth Borough Council leader John Beesley has said that Ms Portman had given “many years of excellent local government service” and would be “greatly missed”.
A cap on public sector payouts to be no more than £95,000 has been proposed by the government.
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