WAVERLEY Council's managing director has been retitled as chief executive, despite warning bells sounding over potential action against the council. The warning had come from Bryn Morgan, husband of Christine Pointer, the former Waverley chief executive who was made redundant and told her post would no longer exist from April 2006. Mr Morgan, who was elected as a Conservative councillor in May, left the chamber last week when the matter of the title of newly appointed managing director, Mary Orton, was finally settled. But the previous week, speaking in an executive meeting before press and public were hastily excluded, Mr Morgan suggested that the enforced redundancy could be seen as a political act. And pointing out that the stated intention had been to save money and slim down the top management tier, he awaited with interest to see which post was not now required. In the meeting of the full council, Lib Dem and Independent opposition group members expressed concern for the legal repercussions and argued for the matter to be deferred until after the restructuring of senior management this autumn. "At first sight it looks like a simple change of name. There are other issues," said Independent Alan Lovell, while his colleague, Diane James, said they could leave themselves open to ridicule. But Conservatives claimed that the title of managing director, which was brought in by the previous Lib Dem administration, was more appropriate in the commercial sector. Council leader Richard Gates said it was just a name change, and did not imply any change in responsibilities. It was designed to avoid confusion, bearing in mind that in the south east of England all the heads of paid service were designated chief executive. "Our chief executive, currently managing director, carries out external duties, and we should give her the correct clothing to wear when she represents us," said John Sandy.
