The Local Government Act stipulates a local or regional authority chief executive officer's job has to be publicly offered every five years, although a council can grant a single two-year extension.
Mr Ross, who started as chief executive in January 2004, yesterday told the Otago Daily Times he believed the organisation was going well, with a revitalised leadership team led by Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher.
''I am keen to continue to play my part in that. Waitaki has a number of projects which are currently under way which, I believe, I can contribute positively to help these succeed,'' he said.
During the past 11 years, Mr Ross went through two five-year recruitment processes and was granted a two-year extension until January next year.
Now the job has to again be open to other applicants and the council's executive committee, in a public-excluded meeting tomorrow, will start that process by considering appointing a recruitment agency.
Mr Kircher said yesterday one of the responsibilities the council had this year was the chief executive appointment process.
''We are now looking at that process and are working out which options we want to take. Under the Act, we are required to go through a process which must be public, advertised and meet other requirements.''
The council had decided to make this ''a reasonably full process'', while doing what it could to keep the cost down.
''However, these things are never cheap. We will be using a recruitment company to help us through the process and are about to confirm which company that will be,'' he said.
It was hoped to have a decision on an appointment before the end of the year.
Councillors realised this could be an unsettling time for the organisation as the process was worked through.
The initial process would be handled by the executive committee, under delegation from council, but interviews of any shortlisted applicants would involve the full council, which would make the final decision, he said.
