Brendan Simpkins

GAWLER Mayor Karen Redman has been cleared of Code of Conduct complaints raised by councillor Ian Tooley.

At a special council meeting on Monday night, two reports were presented to elected members relating to two complaints made by Cr Tooley earlier this year.

The first related to a special council meeting and CEO Performance Management Panel (PMP) meeting that took place on April 7.

Cr Tooley alleged that Mayor Redman failed to allow debate on item 5.2 – council’s financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic – and refused to allow him to speak on the item.

It was also alleged that Mayor Redman threatened elected members at the PMP meeting when she stated that ‘this formal motion is disrespectful and disrespectful to me as Mayor and if you support this motion you are not supporting me as Mayor’.

He also alleged that Mayor Redman ignored meeting procedures when the debate of a formal motion was allowed.

Cr Tooley alleged that Mayor Redman had breached clauses 2.3 and 2.10 of council’s Code of Conduct when making that statement in regards to the formal motion and her conduct at the special council meeting

The matter was initially referred to Cr Paul Little, a member of the Council Member executive team, as per council procedure, however mediation could not be reached and it was instead referred to Norman Waterhouse for independent investigation.

Norman Waterhouse found that Mayor Redman did not breach the clauses and recommended that council take no further action.

This came at a cost of $5000

The second complaint was lodged on July 8 following the conclusion of a special council meeting the evening prior.

Cr Tooley’s complaint was in regards to an attempt to move a motion without notice at the meeting which was ruled against by the Mayor.

He had earlier attempted to submit a motion on notice for the meeting but was informed special council meetings did not facilitate motions on notice.

Cr Tooley alleged that Mayor Redman breached provisions of part 2 and part 3 of council’s code.

Mediation was not reached once again for the matter and it was referred to Local Government Governance Panel for the allegations relating to part 2 and the South Australian Ombudsman for Part 3.

The LGA recommended that the complaint be dismissed with no further action taken, while the Ombudsman did not consider an investigation of the complaint necessary.

The cost of the assessment by the LGA came at a cost of $388 plus GST.