A COMMENT on Facebook by a first-time Frankston councillor threatened to cause strife between Frankston Council councillors before newly elected councillors even met for the first time.
Steve Toms, elected in South ward, posted a message on the Saturday evening of council elections day (22 October), before all votes were counted, saying “good riddance” to Crs Rebekah Spelman and Michael O’Reilly.
“Good to see Sandra [Mayer] back on Council. Good to also have Brad Hill and Kris Bolam returning to represent us on Council,” Mr Toms’ Facebook comment stated.
“Good riddance to Spellman [sic] and O’Reilly.”
Michael O’Reilly was subsequently re-elected as a North-East ward councillor when results were announced by the Victorian Electoral Commission the next day. Brad Hill missed out on preferences in his bid to return to council after a four-year absence.
Mr Toms, a Labor Party member, said he regretted the critical comment.
“Sometimes things are said in the heat of the moment and that certainly was said in the heat of the moment,” he said.
“I’ve some regret in making that comment and won’t be making any more comments of that nature.”
Mr O’Reilly, a Liberal Party member, said Mr Toms had called him to apologise for the online comment.
“I accepted his apology and said no problem and we should start afresh,” Mr O’Reilly said.
“He indicated that he made those comments before he had met me so that’s why he made them.”
“I told him that to dislike someone on a party political basis is one of the reasons the last council had a lot of trouble because people focused too much on their party political views and sides.”
Mr Toms apologised to Mr O’Reilly after being asked about the Facebook comment by The Times.
Mr O’Reilly said he wants Frankston councillors to put petty political differences aside for the good of the community.
“When it comes to party politics, I don’t snipe or hold grudges against people in opposing political parties. My brother [Sean O’Reilly] is a [City of Greater Dandenong] councillor and a long-term member of the Labor Party but I do go to him for advice and he’s one of my best mates.”
Mr Toms said he wanted council to unite in the best interests of Frankston and hoped his comment could be regarded as being “in the past”.
“I don’t see there being any problems between the two of us,” he said with regards to his future dealings with Mr O’Reilly after the pair are sworn in as councillors.
Former councillors Darrel Taylor and Suzette Tayler were forced last month to publicly apologise to fellow councillors for comments they made on Facebook about council matters after an independent arbitrator found they had breached council’s councillor code of conduct.
New crew: A MIX of newly elected and re-elected councillors will hope to steer the Frankston Council ship into calmer waters after a previous two years marred by stormy infighting between councillors. Glenn Aitken, left, Kris Bolam, Sandra Mayer, Steve Toms, Lillian O’Connor, Brian Cunial and Colin Hampton were all smiles last Wednesday (2 November) at the official declaration of council election results. Michael O’Reilly and Quinn McCormack were unable to attend.
All nine elected candidates will be sworn in as councillors by taking the oath of office at a public council meeting on Monday evening (7 November). Councillors will then vote at the meeting to elect a new mayor and deputy mayor for the first 12 months of the new four-year council term. Picture: Gary Sissons
