A ‘gag’ order has been placed on a local Mayor and it is not the first occasion the presiding member has been silenced.
Grant District Mayor Richard Sage’s voice has been silenced after elected members took an extraordinary step to remove his speaking rights.
Mayor Sage came under fire during council’s general meeting on Monday when Councillor Megan Dukalskis expressed displeasure with his behaviour.
Cr Dukalskis highlighted reasons for her motion including a number of “failures” by Mayor Sage, which she alleged included failing to act as part of the team within council.
Along with her reasons, Cr Dukalskis provided fellow elected members with a copy of her motion as part of the motions without notice section of the meeting agenda.
In line with the Local Government Act, the matter was regarded as a conflict of interest, therefore Mayor Sage vacated the council chamber before discussion could proceed.
Before reading aloud her motion, Cr Dukalskis gave reason why she tabled the motion to strip the Mayor of his speaking rights.
“The principal member role is important to the council and the community and requires teamwork with all elected members,” she said.
“The role of the principal member is clearly outlined in the Local Government Act 1999.”
The Act specifies ‘the role of the principal member of a council as leader of the council is to provide leadership and guidance to the council’.
“I firmly believe Mayor Sage is failing in his role,” Cr Dukalskis said outlining section 58 of the Act, with particular reference to parts a, b, c and d.
She said the list of alleged failures included lack of communication with elected members, such as failing to respond to calls and emails from elected members and not communicating on visits the Mayor had with government ministers and the Governor of South Australia, the Honourable Frances Adamson.
Cr Dukalskis said the Mayor had also failed to notify and invite elected members to events.
“The Mayor invited 60 guests to an afternoon tea with the Governor at Port MacDonnell Community Complex without notifying or inviting the elected member for Port MacDonnell or the elected member for Tarpeena to the Timberlink visit or any other elected member,” she said.
She said Mayor Sage had failed to utilise the elected member accessible calendar as a communication tool and email councillors of any important upcoming events.
“Mayor Sage is failing to meet regularly with the CEO and deputy Mayor and failing to be inclusive of any elected members,” she said.
Cr Dukalskis said Mayor Sage had also been advocating for community groups in his role, stating this was without the knowledge or agreement of council.
She said the Mayor had also gone against the advice of administration by inviting guests to an event without council’s knowledge or agreement.
Cr Dukalskis also raised a previous matter she felt was unresolved.
“Using derogative language towards a fellow elected member and employee and failing to remedy the situation in the best interests of the council. With no apology to Cr Shirley Little and Don Little and family,” she said.
Another matter raised by Cr Dukalskis was the Mayor’s ability to deflect questions “to cover his own actions or situations by putting council members name or role into question” as well as “telling community members untruths or misconceptions to obtain what he wants”.
Cr Dukalskis proposed a motion of no confidence of Mayor Sage continually failing to meet the specific roles in line with the Local Government Act.
She believed council could remedy this situation by removing the Mayor’s speaking rights on behalf of council or any council business.
This would include events both formal and informal, meeting with ministers and any government officials, town meeting or drop-in sessions, community group, media releases, radio, newspaper and social media and official functions and these functions be undertaken by the chief executive, deputy Mayor or delegated members
The conditional motion will be in place until the end of Mayor Sage’s current term.
“That is my motion sadly. This gave me no joy, but it has come to the point where I felt I had to,” Cr Dukalskis said.
“It sends a message we are not happy with what is going on. As an elected member body we need to be included in what’s going on. That’s what people voted us for.”
The motion was seconded by Cr Shirley Little and carried. Cr Kylie Boston called for a division with those voting against required to stand.
Voting against the motion were Crs Bran Mann and Peter Duncan, while supporting the motion were Crs Boston, Brad Mann, Bruce Bain and Gill Clayfield.
Cr Gavin Clarke was absent from the meeting and was unable to cast his vote.
However, chief executive Darryl Whicker clarified Mayor Sage will still remain the presiding member but his speaking rights were immediately removed upon return to the council chamber.
This is not the first occasion Mayor Sage has been stripped of his speaking rights.
In October 2019 elected members took the step to remove him as the principal spokesperson of the organisation following a motion put forward at that meeting by deputy Mayor Gill Clayfield.
