THE final public meeting of Frankston councillors before elections this month saw the mayor Cr James Dooley threaten to call police to remove people from the public gallery amid shouting matches between councillors witnessed by a crying child.
This four-year Frankston Council term has been beset by infighting between councillors that has often spilled out into the council chamber at public council meetings.
Several meetings have been adjourned or abruptly ended during this council term over councillors’ accusations and counter claims about “bullying” and restrictions on freedom of speech.
The latest meeting, held last Monday evening (10 October), degenerated into chaos and was adjourned when people in the public gallery shouted at councillors before Cr Darrel Taylor and Cr Suzette Tayler were to publicly apologise to fellow councillors about comments the pair made on Facebook in May.
Jane Taylor, the wife of Cr Darrel Taylor, and his sister-in-law Anna Ellam interjected when Cr Glenn Aitken accused Cr Taylor of “wrecking” council while defending the cost of the Wells St upgrade project.
Cr Colin Hampton urged the mayor to remind meeting attendees they could be thrown out of the chamber. Fellow councillor Brian Cunial was also unhappy at interruptions to the meeting.
“I refuse to sit here while people in the gallery call us a pack of clowns,” Cr Cunial said.
Cr Dooley asked for police to be called to remove people from the public gallery.
“You can’t go calling the police on people in the gallery,” Cr Taylor responded. “Just ask them to be quiet.”
Cr Taylor’s 10-year-old daughter sobbed as the threat to call police was made.
Mayor James Dooley threatens to call police to eject people from public gallery.
Crs Taylor and Tayler were ordered to make a public apology at Monday’s council meeting after an arbitrator found comments made on Facebook breached council’s code of conduct.
Before they made their apologies the wife of former mayor Cr Taylor, Jane Taylor, shouted from the public gallery that “they are not my husband’s words” and were scripted by Cr Colin Hampton.
After the two councillors made their public apology at the latest council meeting five councillors – Glenn Aitken, Cunial, Dooley, Hampton and Sandra Mayer – voted to not accept the apologies since a phrase had been altered in the scripted apology.
The apologies included an unscripted reference to “a non-abusive phrase” so Cr Dooley decided to put the acceptance of the apologies to a councillors vote.
The mayor tried to force both councillors to stand up again and read out the apologies without the unscripted part of the speech. Both refused to do so.
“I’m not saying it again,” Cr Suzette Tayler said. “I’m not doing it again in this council because I’ve already done it.”
Hear councillors voting not to accept the apologies.
Council CEO Dennis Hovenden said no further action against any councillors before council elections on 22 October.
“This will now be a matter for the new council to consider if it chooses and if either or both councillors are re-elected,” he said.
“If not re-elected the matter is considered to be at an end.”
Cr Colin Hampton demands that Jane Taylor be thrown out of the council chamber.
First published in the Frankston Times – 17 October 2016
See also “Timeline of turmoil at council”
