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Three mayors from the south have been accused of going over the mark by getting involved in a report released this week condemning Sir Tim Shadbolt.
However, one has defended his actions, suggesting that Shadbolt’s decline was not only affecting Invercargill, it was affecting the southern region.
Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan, his brother and Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan and Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher spontaneously contacted report author Richard Thomson to voice their concerns.
Shadbolt, late Tuesday night, said the trio needed to resolve issues they didn’t understand and had no real connection to.
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“Never in my wildest dreams would I interfere in the affairs of another council,” Shadbolt said.
He said the unsolicited opinions of the Cadogan and Kircher brothers were “absolutely staggering given that I have no meaningful contact with them and, in fact, I see them very rarely.”
The Thomson report notes the concerns of the three mayors for Shadbolt and says they have watched his decline for several years, but this has increased in recent times.
“I think their views are relevant to my research as they have extensive experience of Sir Tim over a long period,” says the Thomson report.
The councils were required to work collaboratively around political and operational issues “and they have expressed the view that this has really become very difficult.”
Thomson’s independent city council review says Shadbolt is struggling to fulfill important aspects of his job and, as a result, there is a leadership vacuum in the council.
Robyn Edie
Invercargill City Council Deputy Mayor Nobby Clark, Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt and Executive Director Clare Hadley in front of the media Monday after an independent Council review was released.
Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks criticized the actions of the three mayors, saying he did not believe mayors or anyone outside the city council had a role in that regard.
“It is the people who vote [elected members] in which those discussions should be with. I would die in a ditch to make sure democracy is not interfered with and I think that is one end of the gap where we get involved in areas where we don’t have a mandate.
“But in saying that, I am well aware of the frustrations that other mayors have experienced,” Hicks said.
“It’s not that I don’t understand the reasons, it’s just that I don’t adhere to the process.”
John Bisset / Stuff
Gary Kircher, Mayor of the Waitaki District.
Kircher said that he and the mayors of Cadogan had worked with Shadbolt over the years, and knowing that the city council’s investigation was underway, they felt it was time to put pen to paper to say they shared the concerns that were raised. had raised.
Kircher said they had been afraid to enter that space, but they had done so because they were genuinely concerned about Shadbolt and also about the reputation of the local government.
“We want to make sure those reputations are protected.”
Kavinda Herath / Things
Sir Tim Shadbolt at an Invercargill City Council meeting on Tuesday.
His letter to Thomson was written to convey that it was not just an Invercargill issue, it was something that was affecting the southern region.
Kircher said he chaired the provincial council sector, which involves 30 territorial authorities in New Zealand, including Invercargill.
There was a lot going on in local government and they needed to make sure everything worked well, he said.
He declined to reveal details about Shadbolt’s involvement, but reiterated that they had written the letter to avoid a loss of reputation for both Shadbolt and the local government.
Shadbolt had a great reputation for representing Invercargill and Kircher wanted to be remembered as such, “and not as a mayor who couldn’t fulfill his responsibilities.”
Kircher declined to comment on whether Shadbolt should retire, but said there had to be a resolution that would allow him to be remembered for all the good things he had done.
“There are many comments in the [Thomson] report that supports our concerns, but fundamentally we are seeing a colleague who runs the risk of losing a very long and deserved reputation ”.
