Response to Mayor Kent’s interview in The Mercury, June 24 2016:
Five (out of 8) Glamorgan Spring Bay Councillors were surprised and disillusioned to read Mayor Michael Kent’s recent comments that he did not feel that much progress had been made on the 18 recommendations coming from the investigation into Council by the Director of Local Government.
Deputy Mayor Cheryl Arnol said ‘it was unfortunate that Mayor Kent had not taken the time to discuss the matter with his fellow councillors before going to print particularly given he had only recently returned from 7 weeks leave and may not have been fully aware of the progress’.
Clr Britt Steiner was ‘surprised to read the tirade against local government structures’ and expressed concern that the message was very divisive. Clr Steiner is distressed that she had no idea that the Mayor felt this way particularly given that there had been no enquiry from him nor any communication with his team. Clr Steiner further commented that ‘any comments a Mayor makes should come with the endorsement of councillors and this tirade does not’.
Former Mayor, Clr. Bertrand Cadart expressed the view that Mayor Kent’s statement: ”Local Government is like banging your head against a brick wall” is unspeakable and demonstrates a total lack of respect towards a most rewarding job awarded by one’s trusting local community. Clearly Mayor Kent should remember who put him in the Mayor’s chair in the first place” said Clr. Cadart. “Furthermore, if only due to his age, Mayor Kent must be aware that politicians “come and go” but institutional administrative framework, starting with the General Manager, must however, be solid, steadfast, coherent and ensure the continuity of sound governance regardless of the political contexts of the day.” added Clr. Cadart. “It appears that Mayor Kent finds it difficult to deal “with bruises in his head” (Mercury June 24, 2016, page 9) well… perhaps he ought to be aware that one cannot just accuse the “bricks” on the outside but also the “rocks” on the inside to cause bruising in one’s head.” said Clr. Cadart. “Furthermore, I have observed, since the last elections, an extreme willingness and patience consistently demonstrated by the very experienced Deputy Mayor Arnol, to “show the ropes” in the most decent faith to a new Mayor obviously very “green” and totally ignorant of local government procedures and behavioural patterns only to be snubbed and treated with extraordinary disdain” concluded Clr. Cadart.
Clrs Richard Parker and Jenny Woods share the views of Deputy Mayor Arnol, Clr Cadart and Clr Steiner and were concerned that the Mayor had portrayed a personal opinion that could give the community the perception that the Council was not operating within the bounds of the Local Government Act.
A review of the recommendations shows that many of them have been dealt with over recent months. For the sake of good governance, some of the recommendations require on-going review and action from both Councillors and staff. The Deputy Mayor said that ‘the recommendations most lacking in action are the two attributed to requiring attention by the Mayor”.
Clr Kent’s attack on the Director of Local Government was unwarranted and uncalled for and should not be construed as the view of Glamorgan Spring Bay Council. Mayors are not only the official spokesperson for councils but also their unifier, so they should be very careful to ensure that the views they express in the public arena are in fact the view of the Council as a whole. Anything less can lead to confusion and a community perception that the council is divided.
The Mayor had the opportunity to have input into the roles and responsibilities of Mayors, Elected Members and General Manager with the recent targeted review of the Local Government Act 1993 which is due to go to Parliament early next year.
Deputy Mayor Arnol said: ‘this tirade by Mayor Kent only serves to highlight that it was a major error of judgement on the government’s part to change the Local Government Act 1993 to allow people with no local government experience to stand for Mayor particularly when one of the prime responsibilities of the Mayor is to rationally lead and provide guidance to the Council and elected members to assist them in fulfilling their roles. If there is no belief in the effectiveness of the Local Government Act or an understanding of the structure of local government by the Mayor, then there can be nothing but derision and mockery in the way the Mayor undertakes this role”.
Deputy Mayor Cheryl Arnol, Clr Bertrand Cadart, Clr Britt Steiner, Clr Richard Parker, Clr Jenny Woods
