FRANKSTON councillors have signed off on an agreed code of conduct to police behaviour and conflicts of interest.
Councillors met last Monday (13 February) at a special meeting, open to the public, to discuss the code.
All councils across Victoria had to meet a state government mandated deadline of 22 February to agree to a new code of conduct.
Councillors traditionally sign a code of conduct to abide by for a four-year council term within four months of election or re-election after council elections.
Council elections across the state were held in November last year.
Frankston councillors agreed to treat each other with respect during council chamber debates, in written communications and on social media.
Cr Kris Bolam failed to gain support from a majority of fellow councillors to lower the threshold to declare a gift down from $500 as mandated by the Local Government Act to $50 per gift.
“I believe that if you look at other councils around us we don’t have to go up to the max [to declare gifts],” Cr Bolam said at the meeting.
He noted Mornington Peninsula Shire and Kingston councillors “have to declare everything regardless of cost”.
Hospitality would be excluded from any $50 threshold.
‘Muppets’ mention mars meeting
COUNCILLORS verbally clashed with each other mere hours after agreeing to a code of conduct pledging to treat each other with respect.
The mayor Cr Brian Cunial warned Cr Glenn Aitken he could be ejected from council chamber during debate at last Monday evening’s public council meeting over a comment about “muppets”.
Cr Cunial cautioned Cr Aitken when councillors returned to their seats after a midway break during an ordinary council meeting held on the same evening a special council meeting saw councillors sign up to the new code of conduct.
“You can talk about muppets, you can say what you like, but at the end of the day your comments need to be appropriate,” Cr Cunial said. “Any more reference to muppets in respect to a fellow councillor and you will be directed by me to leave this room.”
Cr Aitken did not return calls from The Times. Cr Cunial did not respond to emailed questions asking who Cr Aitken had been referred to when mentioning “muppets”.
Hear the mayor Brian Cunial clash with Cr Glenn Aitken over a comment about muppets
Cr Colin Hampton said he did not think he had received any gifts, apart from hospitality, in his many years as a councillor.
“I think you could go on and on and on adding things but at the end of the day if the thing is either covered under the local law or it’s covered by legislation in the [Local Government] Act, I think all you’re doing is just making work for yourself by actually replacing it in this code of conduct here.”
Cr Quinn McCormack said councillors should have to declare any gift over $50 “in the interests of meeting community expectation”.
“Public servants across Victoria are expected to meet a threshold of $50. Councillors shouldn’t be seen to be above and beyond public servants.”
Grievance procedures have been changed to hold more internal mediation meetings between councillors who complain about each other’s behaviour before any matter is referred to an independent external arbiter for adjudication on any complaint.
Councillors spent about $60,000 of ratepayers’ money, including council officers’ time, during the previous four-year council term on fees to lawyers who were called in to rule on stoushes between some councillors.
Any councillor who runs for preselection as a candidate for a state or federal election must now seek leave as a councillor as soon as they declare an intention to try to be a candidate of a registered political party according to the new code of conduct adopted by Frankston councillors last week.
Several councils, including Frankston Council, faced the threat of councillors being stood down last year after the Local Government Inspectorate found signatures on council codes of conduct had not been witnessed by council CEOs.
The state government intervened and saved councillors from the sack over the administrative blunders.
