Councils Assistant Director of Resources RESIGNS to take on new role with another local authority, but not one member of the public ever knew that he's also been "moonlighting" for another local council for last seven years.......
16th Jan 2023 11:09am
Hartlepool Borough Councils assistant chief finance officer James Magog is reportedly set to stand down from his role at HBC in May 2023, paving the way for the council to implement a revised management restructure that council officer’s claim will bring about a small saving to the Hartlepool tax payer, but his role at one of the North Easts most controversial establiahments is not without its controversy, following questions now being asked over just how he's managed to work for two local councils 20 miles apart from each other at the same time for the last seven years.....
Just how he's managed to take emplouyment roles with two local authorities doing similar roles raises many questions over his contractual workign arrancements agreed by the council when he took on both roles.
James Magog, the council’s assistant director of finance but whose actual job title is deemed to be the the Council's Assistant Director of Resources & Development is reportedly now working with Hartlepool Council until the 31st May 2023, giving them what HBC claims is “lead time” to implement a new management structure & put into place appropriate succession arrangements for when he leaves..
The move however has sparked debate about his working arrangements with both Hartlepool & Sunderland City Council, the primary question being over the reason for his departure at HBC, especially when it’s been found that according to Mr Magog’s actual linked in profile, either he has an identical twin, or whilst he’s been working for Hartlepool Borough Council he’s also been moonlighting for Sunderland City Council as the Chief Accountant for SCC & has done so since October 2016.
According to Linked in, either Mr Magog has an identical twin, hes been working for Sunderland Council for the last seven years, as well as working for HBC
This would raise the question over whether Mr Magog's contractual obligations to Hartlepool Borough Council as an assistant director have been on a full time or a part time basis, as it goes without saying, there would be a considerable public backlash if it was to be found that the HBC senior officer had trousered two full time incomes working for two seperate local councils, yet was only undertaking part time hours in both respective employments.
His role at HBC isnt even mentioned in his Linked in profile, maybe he was just hoping nobody noticed he was also working for another local council
Nevertheless, its claimed his departure coming in just a few months’ time will allow the council to undertake a number of “tweaks” to HBC's senior management operations which in turn is allegedly going to lead to at least “some” savings for the local tax payer, as concerns over the councils increasing senor salary expenditure bill was causing significant public anger, as the council continues along a spending pattern on its senior management salaries that was "concerning" for the size of the council being a small unitary authoruity.
There will be changes, but the public will likley never find out the details. ..
The actual details of the proposed management restructures seemingly remains a mystery, after the council cleverly used the Local Government Act to shield the in depth details of the proposed restructure away from public eyes claiming that the proposals couldn’t be revealed as they would allegedly "reveal the identity of a council individual".
The council according to one source is reportedly “struggling” to recruit individuals into its senior management team, primarily due to the councils reputation of “not what you know, but who you know” culture, with "Dinasaur Directors" at the top of the corporation simply labelled as “hang onners”, who opt to wait out their twilight years sitting at the top of the HBC tree until retirement where generous payoffs are handed out & the role then seconded to the next person in line when a director retires or stands down which many claim 'stifles' any realistic prospect of promotion within the authority itself.
Previous restructures of the councils senior management led to a saving of just £56,000 equating to around a 7% saving overall.
However, with the councils assistant Chief Finance officer seemingly on his way out in the next couple of months, many locals following the revelation that he’s been potentially moonlighting for another local council now want to know just how much has Mr Magog has managed to earn from his two roles working for two separate local councils ?
More importantly, has both roles been paid to him as “full time roles” whilst only putting in part time hours on each job. ?
And just how many more senior council officers have this kind of 'arrangement' in their contracts of employment ?
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