By Laura Michell
A group representing Epping North and Wollert residents is demanding Whittlesea’s councillors immediately remove Aidan McLindon as mayor and dismiss him from council following his decision to contest the Werribee state by-election.
The Residents of Epping North and Wollert Community Association (RENW) has written to councillors, council’s chief executive Craig Lloyd and municipal monitors Peita Duncan and Jude Munro, asking them to act “swiftly and decisively” to remove Cr McLindon as mayor.
The association hopes the letter will be tabled at the February 18 council meeting.
Cr McLindon is contesting the February 8 by-election in Werribee and took personal leave from council from January 23- February 8. He had been Whittlesea mayor for nine weeks when he made the decision to run for the Werribee state seat.
In the letter, seen by Star Weekly, RENW said there was “profound frustration and anger” regarding Cr McLindon’s conduct.
“Many members of our community group have reached out to us to explain their immense frustration regarding Mr McLindon’s actions,” the letter stated.
“As a group of unpaid volunteers who have worked tirelessly for years to do their best to support the wider City of Whittlesea community, we feel deeply betrayed by Mr McLindon who has so quickly taken his new position of councillor and mayor for granted.
“His actions amount to a betrayal of the voters who believed in his promised commitment to serve our community.”
RENW has demanded that council puts forward a no confidence vote and remove Cr McLindon as mayor, remove him from council, and publicly condemn his actions.
It also wants Cr McLindon to repay all funds received from ratepayers, including paid leave, during the period in which he contested the by-election.
“It is [council’s] collective responsibility to restore public trust by taking decisive action,” the letter stated.
RENW president Paul Seidl said residents felt they had been lied to by Cr McLindon, who during a candidates’ forum run by the association pledged to “do the basics brilliantly.”
He said Cr McLindon had not reached out to RENW since being elected as the Kirrip Ward councillor, despite the association representing the residents of his ward.
“Doing this nine weeks in was not acceptable. So many people felt taken for a ride,” he said.
“We feel he is not a representative of our community .. we all know this is to prop up his own political agenda.”
Mr Seidl said RENW sent its letter to council on Tuesday, February 4, the same day council held an unscheduled, confidential meeting to discuss potential Model Councillor Code of Conduct breaches by Cr McLindon.
According to a leaked copy of the agenda for that meeting, seen by Star Weekly, the other 10 councillors – Daniela Zinni, Blair Colwell, Deb Gunn, Christine Stow, David Lenberg, Lawrie Cox, Nic Brooks, Martin Taylor, Stevan Kozmevski and Jarrod Lappin – planned to apply for Cr McLindon to face internal arbitration over the alleged breaches.
A petition has also been started, calling for Cr McLindon to resign as mayor. It has been signed by more than 700 people.
Cr McLindon was contacted for comment.
