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Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt has rejected the main tenets of an independent report that says he is struggling to carry out important aspects of his role.
The report highlighted a leadership vacuum, but Sir Tim said he would not resign.
The governance review was conducted by Richard Thomson after the Department of Home Affairs (DIA) launched an investigation in August in response to concerns raised about the performance of the mayor and councilors.
Thomson found that there was a clear consensus that the mayor struggled to fulfill important mayor functions, such as providing an appropriate link between government (councilors) and administration (senior staff), which would normally be a key role of a mayor.
Through interviews with councilors, senior staff and the mayor himself, as well as footage from council meetings, it was clear that Sir Tim was still struggling with some aspects of the position, he said.
Sir Tim had voted to accept the report’s findings this month, but he does not accept them today.
“The actual content of the report, I am not willing to use,” he said.
“I refuse to take the cloak of a convenient scapegoat.”
Councilors watched in shock as the mayor delivered an incoherent but defiant and at times withering statement.
“Anyone with any faith in this report, with its enthusiastic praise and uniquely targeted criticism, is also likely to believe that we will soon see Auckland Island pigs flying over Queen’s Park.”
Sir Tim said mayors in the south who expressed concern about his abilities had a vengeance against him.
He also tried to draw attention to what he said were factions on the council.
“I don’t like the concept of trying to take power through the back door, rather than through the ballot box.”
The report was released publicly at 3pm today.
Other key issues were also highlighted, including the election of Deputy Mayor Nobby Clark, a rift between the CEO and Sir Tim, relations between councilors and the overall state of the city.
Three mayors from the south, not named in the report, also contacted Thomson to discuss the mayor.
It also found that there was no working relationship between the mayor and CEO Clare Hadley, and the appointment of Cr Clark ran the risk of further destabilizing the relationship.
As Sir Tim was not a “standard” mayor, Hadley had to assume a governance role greater than the standard for a chief executive of a local body, according to the report.
It was doubtful that there had ever been a meaningful relationship between the couple, and the mayor publicly stated that he felt abandoned and unsupported by management.
Although she was generally considered highly competent, a small number of councilors viewed her negatively because of her management style.
Cr Clark was cited by most of his board colleagues as a factor in the difficult dynamics of the board.
Thomson said that, in his view, Cr Clark’s promotion to deputy mayor ran the risk of further destabilizing the relationship between government and management, unless he shifted to a more collegiate approach.
At a meeting on November 12, the council voted unanimously to adopt the review’s findings and agree on an action plan to address the highlighted issues.
The plan includes the appointment of two external persons appointed to the council, the development of a clear set of delegations for the deputy mayor, the accompaniment and training of councilors and the review of strategic projects.
Annual evaluations would also be conducted to make sure the council stayed on the right track.
Thomson said that despite the problems, Invercargill has generally been well managed in terms of common measures such as debt and infrastructure quality.
In a statement, Sir Tim acknowledged that the process had been challenging for both him and the other councilors.
“We now look to the future and have agreed to work together to make the necessary changes. This includes some additional support mechanisms that will help the council run smoothly, as well as seeking guidance from our new external appointees.” “
However, his verbal statement was very different.
Ms. Hadley said the review raised some challenging issues for both elected members and staff.
It was important that the council now focus on what needed to be done to make improvements for the good of the city, he said.
“We are focused on working together as a team to provide assurance to our community and to the DIA that we have assessed the issues and are committed to addressing the challenges we face.”
– additional reporting Tim Miller
