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Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
Cr Lee Vandervis has been told to apologize to Dunedin’s deputy mayor following an altercation after a council meeting.
A Dunedin city councilman was urged to seek help for anger management issues when he faced censure for an outburst against the city’s deputy mayor.
An independent investigation found that Lee Vandervis violated the council’s Code of Conduct when he pointed his finger and yelled at Deputy Mayor Christine Garey after a city council meeting on July 28.
The matter was discussed at a council meeting on Tuesday, although six councilors who witnessed the incident, including three who filed official complaints, were unable to participate.
Vandervis, who was also censored by the council last year after a discussion about a $ 12 parking ticket, had a chance to speak about the latest incident.
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“Thank you for this opportunity,” he said before launching into a tirade about the process and then the incident itself.
He alleged that the violation of the Code of Conduct arose because he criticized Garey and claimed that Cr Steve Walker falsely accused him of “yelling and screaming.”
He said Walker’s claims were in contrast to those of Cr Jules Radich, who apparently heard nothing, despite being only 10 meters away.
Vandervis alleged that there was a conspiracy, led by Mayor Aaron Hawkins and his ‘A team’, to publicly discredit the only serious challenger to mayor: himself.
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
Cr Lee Vandervis and Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins.
He retracted part of his speech after a point of order was made. That was in reference to the whistleblowers who said he was red-faced, tall, and masculine, to which Vandervis said: “I refuse to undergo transgender or height correction surgery, or use makeup like Rep. Garey to hide my true face. “
Vandervis said his mistake was to verbally complain to Garey and raise his voice.
Witnesses said Vandervis approached Garey and spoke to him in a loud and aggressive tone during the July incident.
He stood over her and pointed a finger, they said. Garey then said, “Don’t talk to me like that councilor.”
The complainants alleged that Vandervis later said: “I will point the finger at whoever I want.”
John Kirk-Anderson / Stuff
Dunedin Municipal Chambers.
Possible sanctions included a letter of censure, a request for an apology, a vote of no confidence, loss of privileges, suspension of committees and an invitation to resign.
Councilors Sophie Barker and Rachel Elder spoke at Tuesday’s meeting about bullying and the impact it had on people.
Cr Carmen Houlahan said the board should not tolerate such behavior in the workplace.
Cr David Benson-Pope said Vandervis had anger issues, as other complaints document, and urged him to seek help.
Hawkins noted that the council’s Code of Conduct was “ineffective” when it came to dealing with serial offenders.
Hamish McNeilly / Stuff
Cr Lee Vandervis at an earlier Dunedin City Council meeting.
He disagreed with some of Vandervis’s comments and compared his behavior to that of his own 4-year-old son.
Cr Chris Staynes asked the council to require Vandervis to provide an “unreserved, written, public apology” for the incident. His motion was approved by the council.
Staynes said the decision to object to a sanction against a fellow councilman was not easy.
He urged Vandervis to seek help for his anger management problems.
If Vandervis did not issue an acceptable apology by November 3, the council would revoke his membership on the Board of the Otago Museum Trust and the District Licensing Trust.
