Council chief exec resigned just days before disciplinary hearing
The chief executive of a Cheshire council resigned just days before he was due to appear before a disciplinary hearing.
Mike Suarez, who earned £158,015 a year, has been suspended on full pay from his job at Cheshire East Council for the last 16 months.
He was suspended in April 2017 along with two other officials.
The council’s former head of legal services, Bill Norman, resigned in December last year and chief operating officer Peter Bates is still suspended.
Mr Suarez had been suspended on full pay as a neutral act after a disciplinary committee meeting examined “concerns over officer conduct”.
The authority did not reveal details of the allegations .
But today it emerged he was due to appear before a disciplinary committee.
Councillor Margaret Simon, acting chair of the cross-party investigation and disciplinary committee of Cheshire East Council, confirmed that the two-day disciplinary hearing, which was due to commence this week, was to consider allegations in relation to Mr Suarez.
She said: “It is confirmed that Mr Suarez resigned on 9 July 2018 with immediate effect and without notice.
“The resignation was accepted by Kath O’ Dwyer, acting chief executive on 10 July.
“Mr Suarez will receive his contractual and statutory entitlement to outstanding holiday pay and salary to 9 July 2018.
“The IDC reconvened at Macclesfield Town Hall at 10.30am today. However, as the IDC can only deal with matters in relation to existing statutory officers of the council, there is no need to proceed with the disciplinary hearing, due to the resignation of Mr Suarez.”
Mr Suarez wrote to the local media in Cheshire to confirm he had stepped down.
He did not give his reasons for resigning but thanked staff, resident and councillors for their support.
He said: “Setting aside my reasons, I just wanted to thank all those staff, residents, businesses, partners and town and parish and other councillors who have offered me their sincere support and well wishes over this period.
“I am very grateful to staff, residents and partners for their significant contributions over my time at Cheshire East.”
