The Secretary of the strife-hit Corporation of Hamilton has been heavily criticised in a letter of resignation from a senior member of staff.

Treasurer Geoffrey Bell alleges that Kelly Miller seems to take a "perverse sense of satisfaction" in "constantly searching for fault and blame in order to harass and humiliate staff".

Mr. Bell, who leaves the Corporation on August 26, claims that 12 senior or semi-senior staff have resigned in the three years he has worked there with "almost all citing the Corporation's most senior manager as their reason for leaving the municipality".

Another source told this newspaper that ten senior members of management had left the publicly-funded Corporation in the past two to three years.

"All... resigned/retired early due to their unhappiness in the job, not because they were leaving to take up a better position," said the source.

Mr. Bell's letter, leaked to this newspaper and other media last week, also contains criticism of elected Corporation members, claiming that some, along with Ms Miller, display a "complete and utter lack of trust and/or respect".

Mr. Bell alleges that certain members have "deliberately and blatantly" involved him in the public arena in their "war of words with other fellow Members".

His letter — sent to Ms Miller and copied to Mayor Sutherland Madeiros and Deputy Mayor Courtland Boyle — begins by saying his resignation should come as no surprise and that he feels compelled to give his reasons for leaving.

He cites one reason as the "most appalling lack of senior management that I have ever experienced in any organisation I have been employed within during my entire 40 year career".

Mr. Bell's letter claims there is a "dire state of affairs" at the Corporation and suggests "radical surgery" is needed.

Mr. Bell confirmed to this newspaper earlier this week that he had resigned but would not comment on the reasons why.

The Royal Gazette gave Ms Miller the opportunity to respond to all the allegations in the letter on Friday. A Corporation spokeswoman e-mailed us this response on behalf of Ms Miller and the Mayor: "The Corporation of Hamilton does not comment on staff matters."

The Corporation has suffered a string of negative headlines this year, with a call for the Mayor to resign from some members and an ongoing investigation launched into whether common councillor Graeme Outerbridge and alderman David Dunkley are eligible to serve.

Mr. Outerbridge stepped down from his seat on Tuesday but said he intended to contest it at a by-election after re-registering on the City of Hamilton voters' list.

Common Councillor George Grundmuller stepped down in February, citing business reasons.