Carl Sargeant has criticised councils over hiring chief executives Councils in Wales could be forced to share senior officials under powers being sought by Local Government Minister Carl Sargeant.
BBC Wales understands he will tell councils a new law would give him the power to direct closer collaboration.
He has already criticised councils for not sharing chief executives when front line services are under threat.
Council leaders said his job-sharing arguments were "well rehearsed" but not the answer to the threat to services.
Mr Sargeant will address a conference of council leaders in Swansea on Thursday.
It is understood he will tell the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) of his intention to legislate to make sure he can direct joint council appointments and dictate closer collaboration across council borders.
He told AMs on Tuesday that authorities were not considering opportunities to share senior appointments and that he would be having a "frank discussion" with local government leaders.
The way services were delivered must be reformed, without the "cost, delay and upheaval" of full-scale council reorganisations.
"One of the things I will be frank about is my frustration at the difference between warm words in principle, and recent action," he said.
Carl Sargeant AM Local Government Minister“We are missing opportunities not only to make savings, but more importantly, to recruit the best quality people”
"The current senior staffing structure of 22 local authorities is unsustainable and outdated.
"How do we justify the cost of so many chief executives and senior officers when front line services are under threat?"
More than a quarter of local councils independently filled chief executive posts in the past year, with the same pattern for senior directors.
Mr Sargeant said opportunities for joint appointments were "resisted and often not even considered".
He added: "We are missing opportunities not only to make savings, but more importantly, to recruit the best quality people, from within and beyond Wales, who can help us deliver an ambitious change agenda.
"This cannot go on, it is time to stop talking and start delivering."
WLGA leader John Davies said: "The minister's arguments on joint posts are well rehearsed but to present them as the solution to the threat faced by frontline services is simplistic.
"Although well rewarded, for what are tough and challenging roles, the cost of 22 chief executives is approximately £4m out a total budget of £5bn.
"This is not the 'silver bullet' in terms of savings and when the minister expresses his gratitude to public service leaders in Wales it is worth noting that six of the seven chief executives who lead on his own efficiency and innovation programme are from within local government."
This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-politics-13858567
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