As Armidale Regional Council waits for an administrator to be appointed, one councillor has resigned.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Diane Gray, who was in her first term as a councillor, cited the failure of some of her colleagues to take responsibility for the council's problems. She wrote to mayor Simon Murray on Tuesday to submit her resignation, effective from Friday.
"I think we have so much potential, but I don't think I can make that positive difference anymore," she told The Armidale Express.
READ MORE:
Cr Gray said she had been considering resigning for some time, but the final straw was the extraordinary meeting earlier this week when the council responded to the Minister for Local Government's notice of suspension.
The breakdown of relationships between councillors and key staff posing significant reputation, legal and work, health and safety risks to the council were included by the minister, as reasons for the suspension.
But Cr Gray said when six councillors changed the wording of the council's response, to remove any reference to the behaviour of councillors posing a risk, it effectively ended her time as a councillor.
Another change Cr Gray was not happy about was to delete the part where it said the councillors acknowledged the community had lost respect for the council.
Cr Gray said she was distancing herself from the majority of councillors, who she said were not accepting responsibility for the problems.
"I've got to admit I've been thinking off an on about it for a while, because of their behaviour, and also the fact their behaviour towards me wasn't very nice to say the least."
She said the problems went back several months.
"While ever we have people who believe that their behaviour isn't providing an unsafe workplace, they're not accountable for the division, and they're not going to be accountable to the community for losing its respect, there's not a future for this council."
Cr Gray said she would not be a candidate at the next council election, due next year.
"I feel that I can give far better as a community member in the future, than I can being on council."
Cr Gray said she had not given up on the region, and said there was some possibility she could stay involved with council committees.
The resignation will not necessarily trigger a byelection, as the casual vacancy does not have to be filled if it is within 18 months of an election.
"I am of an understanding that if they do get reinstated there would be no need to call a by-eletion, so my resignation would not be at the cost of ratepayers."
The council has been suspended for three months.
