ABERDEEN City Council’s chief executive quit last night – prompting claims that her decision was driven by the “dysfunctional behaviour” of the Labour-led administration.
Valerie Watts announced her resignation from the authority and revealed she will take up a new job in Northern Ireland in three months.
She described the decision to leave as “tremendously difficult” but said the offer of the public-sector role in her own province was too big an opportunity to turn down.
Opposition councillors and MSPs claimed last night that recent incidents, including plans to ban Scottish ministers from the city, had contributed to the move.
SNP group leader Callum McCaig pointed out that two directors and a senior officer had also left in the 22 months since the Labour-Conservative-independent coalition took power.
He suggested that any prospective candidate to succeed Mrs Watts would be “putting their professional credibility on the line”, while Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill said many good candidates could be discouraged.
Council leader Barney Crockett said he was “extremely disappointed about losing the chief executive, but wished her well in the future.
Labour finance convener Willie Young described Mr McCaig’s comments as a “slur on the character and professionalism” of Mrs Watts, and said she had simply taken a “better” job. He added that his party would remain in power for “another five years” beyond the next election in 2017.
The chief executive broke the news to Mr Crockett in person before a statement was issued to other elected members.
She will take on the role of chief executive of Health and Social Care Northern Ireland, based in Belfast.
Last night, in the letter to councillors later distributed to the media, Mrs Watts said she had “truly mixed feelings” about the move. “This was a tremendously difficult decision that took me some time to make,” she said.
“In the end, I could not resist the opportunity to take on the fresh challenge of such a demanding role, improving the wellbeing outcomes for all the people of Northern Ireland.
“However, I have greatly enjoyed my three years in Aberdeen and I know that I am going to miss the council and the city.”
Mrs Watts officially took up her post at Aberdeen City Council in March 2011 after she was announced as the successful candidate to replace outgoing head Sue Bruce in November 2010.
She left the post of town clerk and chief executive at Derry City Council in Northern Ireland that she had held since 2008 to move to the north-east.
Mrs Watts was credited with transforming the organisation in her earlier post.
She has more than 25 years’ experience in the public sector, having worked in local government since 1989 and in the health service in Northern Ireland from 1983.
Mrs Watts began her career in Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital before taking up the post of head of central contracts with the former Central Regional Council, based in Stirling.
She became head of facilities management, leisure and environmental services with East Dunbartonshire Council after Scottish local government reorganisation in the mid-1990s.
In June 2000, she was promoted to assistant chief executive and in 2003 to director of corporate services.
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