By XAVIER SMERDON
WYNDHAM Council is “broken” and its CEO cannot afford one more mistake, according to the creator of a new online watchdog.
Mark Boxsell from Point Cook recently created Watching Wyndham Council, an online blog and connected facebook page, where he regularly posts articles about the council’s failings.
Mr Boxsell said he decided to use online as a means to keep an eye on the council and put pressure on it when it gets things wrong.
“Wyndham Council has Melbourne’s lowest resident satisfaction. The community no longer trusts that the council is functioning to serve their best interests,” Mr Boxsell said.
“The future of our community depends on Wyndham Council making good, and competent decisions, and being seen to do so. Where people make mistakes they need to be held accountable. This isn’t happening in Wyndham.”
The facebook page already has more than 150 likes and Mr Boxsell has used a photo of a controversial sculpture of a cat that the council placed in front of the Wyndham Vale Community Centre as a profile picture.
Mr Boxsell singled out Wyndham Council CEO Kerry Thompson as being responsible for an organisation that has had a year of “very public and serious management blunders”.
“We had the rate hike debacle, the claim that Wyndham is Melbourne’s worst council, council management spying on their staff and the industrial action that has followed,” he said.
Ms Thompson said she was aware of Watching Wyndham Council.
“I was made aware of this blog and facebook page by Wyndham City’s Communications team,” Ms Thompson said.
“Council encourages the community to have their say and, if they have specific issues or concerns, to raise them directly with council and we will respond appropriately.”
