The chief executive of Belfast City Council is in line to take up a £250,000 a year job as Jersey’s top civil servant.
uzanne Wylie, who has hit the headlines over the council’s handling of Bobby Storey’s funeral and loyalist bonfires, is on course to take up the post in the affluent and scenic Channel island.
A popular figure with councillors across the political divide, Ms Wylie has held the most senior position in City Hall for seven years.
She applied for the role of chief executive of the Government of Jersey in the spring and was the successful candidate at interview stage for the highly sought after job.
However, there have been calls to delay recruitment until after the island’s general election next June.
The States Assembly in St Helier is expected to discuss the matter later this month.
Ms Wylie could not be contacted for comment. Jersey has around a third of the population of Belfast and is home to many super-rich residents.
Although it was known Ms Wylie had been looking for a new role, a move to the Channel island will surprise even her closest colleagues who expected her to remain in Northern Ireland.
Last summer Ms Wylie, and the council’s director of city and neighbourhood services Nigel Grimshaw, apologised to eight families denied the same cremation services as Mr Storey on 30 June.
They were not allowed into Roselawn Cemetery while up to 30 friends and relatives of the late IRA leader were granted access, leading to widespread public anger.
The council’s two top officials threatened to resign amidst the controversy over events at Roselawn. They lodged a formal grievance with the city solicitor.
They spoke of the “difficult” summers they routinely faced “in relation to bonfires and the political ramifications of decisions which needed to be made”.
Mr Grimshaw, a former senior PSNI officer, later retired from the council “by mutual agreement”.
With a population of just over 100,000, the role of Jersey’s top public official is markedly different to that of Belfast’s. However, it’s not without its own controversy.
Former chief executive Charlie Parker quit in November 2020 amidst concerns about his decision to accept a second job with a UK property company.
If Ms Wylie’s appointment is confirmed, she will shadow interim chief executive, Paul Martin, for several months before taking over next March.
She will have responsibility for the delivery of all public services on the island known for its low tax rates. She will also be tasked with steering the economy, leading public policy, and helping position Jersey on the international stage. The job has been described as “an exceptional role” requiring “an exceptional individual” with “an ability to provide leadership in a fast-moving political environment”.
Highly personable and approachable, Ms Wylie became Belfast City Council’s first female chief executive in 2014. If her appointment is finalised, she will become the first female chief executive of the Government of Jersey.
Wylie has worked for the council for over 30 years, joining as an environmental health officer after graduating from the University of Ulster.
In a previous interview with Best Of Belfast, she recounted how she was tasked with inspecting animals in the abattoir.
The male workers there tested her mettle. “Sometimes in the mornings when I came in I would find all sorts of bits of animals in my welly boots because they wanted to see what kind of stuff was this girl made off,” she has said.
A workaholic who sets her alarm for 5.30am, she rose through the ranks at City Hall. She put some of her success as chief executive down to her focus on building relationships.
She knew “all the players in this city” and it helped to be able to pick up the phone and “problem solve together”.
Councillors from a wide range of parties speak of Ms Wylie as “very accommodating” and someone who constantly works to find compromises.
She is a familiar figure cycling to and from work as late as 11pm some nights. She told Best of Belfast about how she kept “a pair of straighteners in the office” and would use the hand-dryer in the toilets to dry her hair.
Four years ago, ex-DUP councillor Graham Craig was at the centre of a sexism storm when he said he enjoyed the sight of Ms Wylie on her bike.
Jersey’s prospective chief executive is expected to become part of the island’s active and growing cycling community. The island is well suited to those who enjoy the outdoor life.
The high concentration of multi-millionaires and limited housing stock means property is expensive in Jersey and a growing number of people are economically left behind.
House prices surpass even London with an average four-bedroom residence costing over £1m. Most young people find it impossible to get on the property market. If Ms Wylie is confirmed in the position, tackling this issue will be among her priorities.
Although she dealt with many challenges during her time in City Hall, the fall-out from the Storey cremation was by far the greatest.
An internal council report found “no political intent” in the decision-making at the cemetery.
It said the decision by Mr Grimshaw to allow up to 30 mourners to attend the IRA leader’s cremation was taken “in the context of managing potential issues if numbers arrived and demands for access were made”.
Mr Grimshaw acknowledged it was “a mistake for which he takes responsibility”, and he regretted its impact on the other families.
The report noted that, as Mr Storey was being buried, Ms Wylie was “dealing with a serious personal family issue”.
This meant that she couldn’t have an in-depth discussion with Mr Grimshaw and “an important means of scrutiny was lost”.
An independent investigation by barrister Peter Coll later found that Sinn Féin did not pressurise the council to give the Storeys special treatment.
Credit: Source link
