Editorial: Let’s See How This Turns Out…

TODAY, as I was in Sydney for work, I was advised that Council’s general manager had made a decision to vacate my position as a Councillor.

Mr McDonald has the right to make the decision, just as I have a right to have his decision reviewed, which I will now seek to do.

If Mr McDonald’s decision is found to be unreasonable, his decision will not hold.

I have previously raised issues where this Council has proactively prevented me from performing my elected duties, including preventing me from attending briefings, meetings or accessing documents.

Such behaviour I believe is unreasonable and an abuse of power, like so many decisions made by this Council, so hardly surprising. 

I have previously appealed decisions by Council, which Council have fought using ratepayer money, and I’ve been successful in each of them.

I do hope Council will not spend more time and ratepayer money defending Council’s latest decision.

This Council is always supremely and unwaveringly confident in all of their decisions, no matter how badly they come out in the wash.

Their decisions and beliefs on the airport, sale yards and a raft of other projects have been proved wrong to the tune of in excess of $2million per year. Instead of admitting their failings and spending time developing testable business plans to stop the losses, they have voted to begin the process towards a 30% rate rise to make ratepayers cough up another $2million per year.

And Council were supremely confident in referring Cr Abbott and I to the Office of Local Government for a form we didn’t hand in while we were on leave.

Council has a long and sordid record of making poor decisions, which cost ratepayers money, this is just the latest one.

The Council I’m sure is supremely confident in this decision too, as is their pattern, so let’s see how this one turns out…

Elizabeth Flaherty
Editor, scone.com.au