Andrea Hill has been formally confirmed as new chief executive and head of paid service at Suffolk CC after a close vote by councillors. Members voted 37 to 31 in favour of the appointment, with one abstention. Two members of the ruling Conservative group voted against Ms Hill's £220,000-a-year appointment, which was opposed by Labour and Independent councillors at the full council meeting on 27 March. An earlier move to ask members of the Staff Appointments Committee to reconsider her salary package salary, which is some £70,000 more than her predecessor, Michael More – who is moving to Westminster City Council – was also defeated. Her salary has been widely criticised because the long-term future of the county's council structure is still under review, but in the event the threat of a major backbench revolt by Tory councillors failed to materialise (see The MJ, 20 March). No date has yet been fixed for the former chief executive at Bedfordshire CC to start work at Suffolk, but there was a unanimous vote in favour of confirming the head of strategic finance, Geoff Dobson, taking over as interim head of paid service when Mr More leaves on 6 April. Martin Reeve has been appointed as interim chief executive at Bedfordshire CC, and will take over on 21 April. A former director at Westminster City Council, he has been assistant chief executive at Bedfordshire since August 2006, and has both a degree in management and a doctorate in applied economics. He said after his appointment: ‘It is a great honour to become chief executive. I am looking forward to securing the county council's legacy and leading staff at all levels through this period of uncertainty.'
