Grievance believed to have been submitted by departing council boss

Netta Meadows is leaving the council, but it's understood she has submitted a grievance.

It was announced in June that Netta Meadows was leaving her £130,000-a-year post after just 18 months at the helm.

At the time a statement issued by the council regarding her departure said she would be continuing in her role during a three-month notice period.

Conservative council leader Councillor Euan Jardine wished Ms Meadows the best for the future, saying: “I am very looking forward to continuing to work closely with her and her senior leadership team”.

Now, according to an article on the website of the Municipal Journal (MJ), the local government ‘trade’ magazine, Ms Meadows is in fact on ‘gardening leave’ while she serves out her notice.

It also says that the outgoing chief executive has submitted a grievance, the subject of which is not known.

That grievance is said to be pencilled in for a hearing on Thursday, September 8 – the day before Ms Meadows is due to formally leave the local authority.

It has also been confirmed that David Robertson, the council’s director of finance and corporate governance, is formally acting as ‘acting chief executive’ in Ms Meadow’s continued absence, further adding to the uncertainty surrounding her current employment status.

A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said the council cannot comment on “individual staffing matters”.

But they did confirm that Mr Robertson was now performing the duties of chief executive on an interim basis.

The spokesperson said: “Netta Meadows announced her decision to step down from her role as CEO with Scottish Borders Council in June. Following Ms Meadows announcement the council held a private meeting on July 12 to plan for the provision of a new CEO when the position becomes vacant.

“David Robertson, director finance and corporate governance, will perform the functions of chief executive during the interim period. The council cannot comment on individual staffing matters.”

One elected member of Scottish Borders Council said: “My understanding of the situation was that she has family back south and she wanted to move back down south primarily for family reasons, due to a family member being unwell. I was unaware of a grievance being submitted. I wouldn’t know what that was.

“It was sad in a way because she’d only been here a few months and was still just getting her feet under the table, so to speak. David Robertson is now down as the acting chief executive on the emails we receive so I assume she is just seeing out her notice period.”

Ms Meadows took over the CEO role from Tracey Logan in March last year.