A mayor in South Australia has been reprimanded and has publicly apologized for violating the Local Government Act and for misconduct under the Ombudsman Act. Ron Valentine, the mayor of the Southern Mallee District Council, was found by the South Australian ombudsman to have improperly used his position during the recruitment of the council's chief executive officer in 2023.

Ombudsman Emily Strickland's report revealed that Valentine applied for the CEO position after serving as chair of the selection panel during the initial round of advertising in June 2023. Valentine had previously applied for the role twice before joining the council in 2022 but was unsuccessful. The report indicated that he received a summary of the first round of applications and expressed concerns about their quality.

On June 23, 2023, Valentine resigned from the selection panel after consulting with the Local Government Association. The CEO position was readvertised in July, but Valentine was not shortlisted. He continued to serve as mayor and did not participate further in the selection process, which culminated in Lachlan Miller's appointment as CEO in August 2023.

The ombudsman identified two breaches of the Local Government Act: Valentine did not act with reasonable care and diligence in his official duties and made improper use of his position as a council member. Councillor Campbell Michell raised serious concerns about potential conflicts of interest, suggesting that Valentine’s knowledge and position may have influenced the selection process.

In an email cited in the report, Michell stated that Valentine had helped draft the CEO role guidelines and had access to "insider information on candidates who applied." Michell accused Valentine of influencing the selection process by discussing candidate quality during a private briefing and contacting third parties about the applicants.

The ombudsman noted that Valentine could have excused himself from the selection panel at the start of the recruitment process but chose not to. Strickland stated, "It appears that Mayor Valentine maintained his position to, in his own words, 'have a little sniff at the beginning' and assess the quality of the applicant pool before making his own application."

The two-year investigation recommended that the council publicly table the report, reprimand Valentine, and require him to undergo training. In his apology, Valentine said he "unreservedly" accepted the ombudsman's findings. He expressed regret for not heeding the advice of others, including Councillor Michell.

Valentine also apologized to Lachlan Miller, the successful candidate, and to Jason Beaton, the current CEO, acknowledging that his actions had unintended consequences for them. "I made a mistake, I've accepted that, I haven't repeated it and I don't plan to," he stated.

Despite the findings, Southern Mallee Council CEO Jason Beaton confirmed that Valentine would remain in his position as mayor, stating, "The mayor has the support of the chamber. We've got a strong working relationship." Beaton added that the council would not change its hiring practices but would provide training to all councillors on their rights and responsibilities under the Local Government Act.