That's what friends are for!
Chief Exec's mate mired in financial scandal put on council payroll
Perhaps we could take the time to offer a somewhat belated welcome to Bristol and the city council to GILL DIXON?

Gill first appeared at the city council in 2009 as an "EXTERNAL ADVISOR" acting as the Chief Exec JAN ORMONDROYD'S personal representative on earth, tasked with helping set up the Lib Dems great democratic leap forward - NEIGHBOURHOOD PARNERSHIPS. These strange bodies where various local authority insiders, community busybodies and voluntary sector timeservers get appointed to a committee through a secretive process operated by the council and then get to take spending decisions about your neighbourhood.

This year, no doubt after her stellar advisory performance in 2009, Gill now appears to have a proper job with the council as 'STRATEGIC ADVISOR, NEIGHBOURHOODS' still working on the great Neighbourhood Partnership dream and trousering a salary worth over three times the average wage in Bristol ... Nice work if you can get it!

But surely this can't be the same Gill Dixon who used to be a friend and colleague of Jan Ormondroyd during her days at Bradford Council can it? Because back in 2000 Jan was the Director (Scrutiny and Performance Management) in Bradford while Gill filled in as Best Value and Scrutiny Manager.

And surely this can't be the same Gill Dixon who was appointed Chief Executive of CRAVEN DISTRICT COUNCIL in Skipton, Yorkshire in 2003 at about the time Jan launched her personal career odyssey into the lucrative senior echelons of local authority paper shuffling at Hull?

And surely this can't be the same Gill Dixon who had to hurriedly leave Craven District Council "BY MUTIAL CONSENT" in June 2008 accompanied by a GAGGING ORDER to all Craven's councillors and staff preventing them discussing the circumstances of Gill's departure?

And surely this can't be the same Gill Dixon who "mutually consented" to leave Craven just two weeks after an Audit Commission report on Craven was published that identified ‘MATERIAL MISSTATEMENTS’ in the council's accounts?

And surely this can't be the same Gill Dixon who left Craven in the middle of an independent INVESTIGATION into MANAGEMENT issues there during which Chief Executive Gill was personally interviewed?

And surely this can't be the same Gill Dixon who while Chief Exec at Craven presided over a 25% increase in STAFF, a 50% increase in PR EXPENDITURE, a massive increase in the wage bill and somehow managed to get through no fewer than 3 Directors of Finance in as many years?

Eventually leading the Audit Commission to conclude that financial statements from the council were rapidly deteriorating and below "MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS" ...

And surely this can't be the same Gill Dixon who received a 37% PAY HIKE in the 4 years she ran Craven and was on a performance related salary as she created this mess?

Welcome to Bristol Gill, you'll fit in at Jan's Counts Louse just fine won't you?

THE BRISTOLIAN WILL BE ON THE STREETS SOON ...