Whittlesea council will need to wait for a municipal monitor to be appointed to the council after the state government said it would consider the request “in due course”.
The council voted on May 8 to ask the government for a monitor for six months to address concerns that the council is dysfunctional.
If appointed, the monitor would review the council’s governance and decision-making, and would cost ratepayers $30,000 a month.
Councillors have requested that the monitor report on the constant interjections from councillors at meetings, the failure of individual councillors to follow the mayor’s directions and withdraw inappropriate comments, and advise on how governance can be improved.
The council has written to Local Government Minister Marlene Kairouz to ask for a monitor, but the government is yet to act on the request.
A spokesman for Ms Kairouz said a decision would be made in due course, adding that monitors were only appointed for significant governance issues.
“We’ll monitor the operation of Whittlesea council to ensure it continues to properly serve its ratepayers,” the spokesman said.
Three councillors – Ricky Kirkham, Alahna Desiato and Caz Monteleone – called for the monitorto be appointed for 18 months, saying the were concerned the council had become dysfunctional. They also said Cr Kris Pavlidis had demonstrated bias since becoming mayor last November.
However, councillors Lawrie Cox, Sam Alessi and Stevan Kozmevski said Cr Pavlidis had chaired meetings fairly, adding that it was the behaviour of some of their colleagues that was the problem.
Cr Cox said he had witnessed “unruly” behaviour in the chamber over the past six months. “Councillors don’t accept decisions from the chair because they are not getting their own way,” he said.
Cr Pavlidis said she was ashamed by the behaviour.
“I actually feel embarrassed as the mayor of the day for this conduct. This has been happening as a pattern since November,” she said.
