Brighton and Hove City Council has named the official who is expected to take over as interim chief executive when Geoff Raw leaves for a new job in London.
A meeting of the full council on Thursday (30 March) will be asked to ratify the appointment of Will Tuckley, 63, in the £167,000-a-year post.
Mr Tuckley left Tower Hamlets council earlier this month after spending the past 11 years as a chief executive at two London borough councils.
He was previously chief executive in the London borough of Bexley after serving as deputy chief executive at Croydon council.
A report to the meeting of the full council said that the appointment will take effect from Tuesday 2 May but in shadow form until Monday 8 May.
He began his career in 1983, working for the Greater London Council (GLC) which was abolished by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in 1986.
Mr Tuckley has previously served as chair of Amicus Housing Association and as a non-executive director of London Marathon Events, the company that has since taken over running the Brighton Marathon.
Mr Raw is due to oversee the local election count on Friday 5 May – his final day in post – before taking up a new job in London.
He has been appointed managing director of Be First, also known as Be First London, a new homes and jobs development company for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.
Mr Raw, 60, joined Brighton and Hove City Council in 2010 as one of four “super directors” – the strategic director of place – before becoming chief executive in 2015.
Mr Tuckley said: “I feel extremely pleased and proud to be recommended for the role of interim chief executive at the council.
“Brighton and Hove is a fantastic city with a huge amount of potential to prosper and develop in the future – and, if appointed, I’m very much looking forward to leading the organisation until a permanent chief executive is found.
“I believe my experience as chief executive at both Bexley and Tower Hamlets will be an asset to the city and allow me to make an impact from the very beginning.”
The council said: “Will’s appointment, for at least six months or until we appoint a new permanent chief executive, would ensure a smooth handover before Geoff’s departure and clear leadership of the council ahead of the local elections.
“Will would lead the council, which has around 9,000 staff, including schools, and a budget of almost £1 billion, and be responsible for ensuring hundreds of essential public services are delivered to our residents, businesses and visitors.
“Interviews took place on Monday (27 March) with a strong field of both internal and external candidates.
“An interim chief executive could have been sought through an agency or consultancy but this would have been far more expensive.”
Mr Raw, who lives in Brighton and plans to stay living here, said: “I’m delighted Will has been recommended to the role of interim chief executive.
“If appointed, we’ll be very lucky to have attracted someone with such a wealth of experience in local government, especially as a chief executive.
“I and the senior councillors on the Appointments and Remuneration Panel are confident Will will be a fantastic interim chief executive who will lead the council in the right direction until the role is permanently filled.”
Mr Raw added: “The role of chief executive at Brighton and Hove City Council is a fantastic job and one I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of having for the last eight years of my 12 years at the council.
“Brighton and Hove is an amazing city with a vibrancy, creativity and cultural diversity unlike any other outside London and I know I’d be leaving the role and city in the safe hands of Will and the wonderful staff who I’ve been very proud to work with.”
“A meeting of the full council on Thursday (30 March) will be asked to ratify the appointment of Will Tuckley, 63, in the £167,000-a-year post.”
This sort of salary is completely wrong.
Plus this is another older guy, following on from the last few years of inept local service failures, and with the newcomer having no real incentive beyond sorting out his own personal pension years.
And why appoint anybody, when there’s an election very soon? I guess this change now, is purely politically motivated, and just costs us more – while the service delivery chaos continues.
It’s so sad to see this vibrant and unique city so badly run.
Billy Short is spot on as usual. An obscene amount of money for another institutionalised clone to occupy this entirley token post. We should run without a Chief Exec and appoint a Head of Service at massive saving. Of course they’ll be ‘remote working’ in their dressing gown watching Netflix box sets.
Lets just be grateful it was not the return of the clown prince of c*ck ups – Nick Hibberd. I think we all got lucky in that respect.
Waste of money.
He will just sit there and do nothing, burning-up time before no doubt taking early retirement at our expense.