Chief executive Peter Brown announced his resignation from council last month

He will finish with the organisation on December 22.

At a meeting on Monday, council appointed planning and economic development director Angela Murphy as acting chief executive from December 23 to January 1.

From January 2, corporate services director Graeme Harrison will be acting chief executive until March 31 or until a permanent chief executive is found.

In a report to council, Mr Brown said Horsham Rural City was fortunate that it had four directors who had the capacity, ability and experience to take on the acting role if required.

“Other councils have in the past appointed an external person as acting chief executive,” he said.

“This is usually done in a circumstance where there are specific short term issues to be addressed within the council or where there are no qualified internal candidates to take up the role.”

Cr Josh Koenig welcomed the appointment.

“I now we’ll be in good hands with Ms Murphy and Mr Harrison for that period of time,” he said.

Council also decided that if a permanent chief executive wasn’t in the role by April 1, further consideration would be given to the matter.

Mr Brown grew up in the Wimmera and worked as finance manager for the former City of Horsham before amalgamation in 1995.

He served with Horsham Rural City Council from 1995 to 2002 as corporate services manager and later acquired the economic development portfolio.

In 2002 he was appointed chief executive of Wimmera Uniting Care until February 2008 when he left the region to become corporate strategies director at Warrnambool City Council.

He returned to Horsham in November 2010 and started work as council’s chief executive.