Frugal combined authority appoints part-time unpaid chief executives
Two senior council officials will act as unpaid part-time executives at the West Midlands Combined Authority, it was announced today.
Martin Reeves, chief executive at Coventry council will lead WMCA as interim chief executive.
Jan Britton, the chief executive at Sandwell council, will be interim chief operating officer.
Both posts will be delivered on a part time basis and Mr Reeves and Mr Britton will continue in their chief executive roles at their own authorities.
The combined authority will start work on June 1, when leaders of the seven West Midlands metropolitan councils take up devolved powers from the Government to run transportation, economic development, housing and skills.
A year later, WMCA will work with a metro mayor who will be elected in 2017.
Mr Reeves and Mr Britton will not receive any additional payments for their new roles.
Council leaders say they do not wish to add unnecessary costs or bureaucracy for the new organisation.
During consultation and engagement about establishing a combined authority, residents expressed concerns about the potential administrative costs
The councils agreed that moving power, budgets and responsibilities from Whitehall to the West Midlands should not mean extra layers of bureaucracy or new resources spent on senior managers.
Cllr Bob Sleigh, leader of Solihull council and chair of the shadow WMCA, said:
I’m delighted the WMCA will benefit from the leadership of two chief executives who have a great understanding of the region, as well as the issues and challenges involved in creating a combined authority.
I know Martin and Jan will work extremely well together and I look forward to working closely with both of them as we focus on the issues that really matter to the people and businesses of the West Midlands; growth, jobs, skills, transport and homes.
The West Midlands Combined Authority is based on the geography of the three Local Enterprise Partnerships which cover the Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire and Greater Birmingham and Solihull.
WMCA is led by the seven metropolitan councils: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton, with a number of shire district councils as associate members.
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