Glen Innes Severn Council has terminated the employment and contract of General Manager Bernard Smith, following consideration of a confidential employment matter at its September Ordinary Meeting.
Council said it would not comment further on the matter due to its personnel and contractual nature, and thanked Mr Smith for his service.
Mr Smith joined Glen Innes Severn in January 2023 after long term CEO level appointments at Gympie Regional Council and Port Macquarie Hasting Council.
Ms Riarna Sheridan has been appointed Acting General Manager while Council conducts a recruitment process for an Interim General Manager.
The change comes as Council finalises its response to a Notice of Intention to issue a Performance Improvement Order, received from the NSW Minister for Local Government. Councillors endorsed an alternative submission to the Minister at an Extraordinary Meeting on 10 September, in place of an officer-prepared draft.
At the same meeting, councillors re-elected Cr Margot Davis as Mayor and Cr Carol Sparks as Deputy Mayor for a further term. Mayor Cr Davis said the elected Council’s focus was shifting toward “implementation, accountability and organisational capability.”
Council also confirmed an independent assurance review of Phase 1 of its business system implementation, and resolved to refer its 2025–26 financial statements to external audit — a step toward resolving the disclaimer of opinion affecting recent statements. Those developments come as incoming Chief Financial Officer James Brickley was welcomed to the organisation.
Read the Council’s official statement here.
Press coverage from the New England Times here.
