Your rates pay for their mistakes

Local governments in Victoria are no strangers to controversy, but one of the most glaring and persistent failures lies in the poor performance of council CEOs and executive teams — many of whom draw eye-watering public salaries with little to show for it. These highly paid individuals are meant to provide strategic leadership, ensure operational excellence, and faithfully execute the decisions of elected representatives. Instead, too many are coasting on inflated remuneration packages while delivering subpar results and presiding over dysfunction.

At the heart of the problem is a serious leadership vacuum. Despite the title and pay grade, many council CEOs demonstrate a striking lack of strategic capability. Rather than shaping long-term visions or proactively addressing community needs, they often fall back on reactive, short-term decision-making. This shortsightedness leads to chronic misalignment of priorities, wasted resources, and councils utterly unprepared for emerging challenges — whether it's population growth, housing pressure, or decaying infrastructure.

Even worse, much of what is delivered under their watch is barely measurable, let alone impactful. CEOs roll out programs and policies with vague objectives and no clear KPIs, making it impossible to judge whether outcomes are being achieved or if public money is being squandered. The lack of transparency and rigor in performance metrics raises the question: what exactly are ratepayers funding? Because it certainly isn't meaningful progress or responsive governance.

The financial mismanagement on display in many councils adds insult to injury. Despite commanding six-figure salaries — sometimes approaching or exceeding that of the Premier — some CEOs and senior executives exhibit a troubling ignorance of basic financial principles. Budget blowouts, inefficiencies, and cost overruns are alarmingly common, with little evidence of corrective action. The result? A cycle of underfunded services, stalled projects, and eroded public trust.

Operationally, the story is no better. Poor delegation, weak oversight, and ineffective internal governance are rampant. Council operations frequently grind to a halt due to managerial bottlenecks, with delays in permit approvals and community service delivery that can often be traced straight back to the top. Low staff morale and internal churn further highlight the toxic impact of inadequate leadership at the executive level.

Worse still is the creeping politicization of these roles. CEOs, who are supposed to remain apolitical and impartial, are too often caught up in factional disputes or aligned with particular power blocs within councils. This not only compromises the integrity of decision-making but also undermines the principle of serving the whole community. Instead of steering councils toward better governance, many executives are merely trying to keep their jobs by playing politics — at the community's expense.

This culture of mediocrity and entitlement must be disrupted. Reform is long overdue. The current system allows executives to underperform with impunity while collecting oversized paychecks. That has to change. Councils must introduce far more stringent hiring processes, focused on proven capability — not old networks or recycled bureaucrats. CEOs should undergo mandatory, independent performance evaluations with clear, community-facing KPIs tied to real-world outcomes.

Financial literacy and governance training must become non-negotiable, and independent oversight bodies should be empowered to audit executive performance and spending. The public deserves to know how their money is being used — and whether those at the top are earning their keep.

Ultimately, if Victoria’s local governments are to regain public trust and actually serve their communities, they must start by holding their most powerful and highest-paid figures to account. The current model — bloated salaries, hollow results, and zero consequences — is unsustainable and unjustifiable. Ratepayers are footing the bill. It’s time they got some value for money.

Here are some of the salaries of Vic Council CEOs - it's clear the Councillor group must hold them to community expectations.