Gore mayor Ben Bell has survived a symbolic vote of no confidence after the proposal failed to get any support from councillors at an extraordinary meeting earlier today.
Cheers rang out from a packed public gallery after a request for a motion mover drew silence from councillors. A motion to remove Bell from all council committees also failed.
The mayor and councillors issued a joint statement following the vote, which said the decision this afternoon had been pre-planned as part of a show of unity.
Cheers rang out from a packed public gallery after a request for a motioner drew silence from councillors. (Source: 1News)
Over a hundred protesters gathered outside Gore District Council, prior to the start of the meeting, with calls for chief executive Stephen Parry to resign.
Earlier this week, Bell spoke in his first extended interview with TVNZ's Sunday, where he said his mental health had been strained as council tensions reached a boiling point.
Speaking at council today, the embattled mayor said, "getting the request to resign was probably two of the darkest days of my life".
"It was incredibly hard. It was incredibly stressful. But following that, the immense pressure from the community and the voice helped lift me up.
"But sequentially, pushed all our councillors down. And I believe they had some of the hardest days of their lives," Bell said.
Last week, the vote of no confidence was led by deputy mayor Keith Hovell and seven other councillors, who called the extraordinary meeting.
One of those councillors, Glenys Dickson, said today it had been a "cry for help" and pleaded to the mayor that they were his "allies".
"Ben, we are your allies. We're not your enemies. And I believe we had dug some trenches, but we're stepping out to move forward with you," she said.
"I did sign the requisition to invite Ben to resign, as the impasse was too great... It was more a cry for help than anything else — as the council was hamstrung."
The councillors do not have the power to remove the mayor as he is directly elected by voters. Gore District Council issued a statement shortly after today's meeting.
"We have agreed that we all need to communicate more openly and effectively so there are no further misunderstandings that could lead to an irreparable breakdown in trust," the councillors' joint statement read.
"I've never seen this community as divided as it is right this minute," Tracy Hicks said. (Source: Breakfast)
But the issues relating to Bell's relationship with the chief executive "were separate and would be addressed through mediation and an independent review," the council said.
A spokesperson for the council said, "the elected members reunited following an in-depth, transparent, and honest conversation yesterday".
"In a move to restore trust with the public and amongst each other, elected members have agreed to put their differences aside and refocus on serving the people of Gore.
"Given the councillors’ desire to move forward, it was unanimously agreed not to proceed with the resolutions of a vote of no confidence and the request to remove the mayor from all council committees, sub-committees and joint committees."
Sunday reported earlier this week that multiple former staff said Parry had been responsible for a toxic, manipulative culture at council, and that a number of people have been bullied or restructured out of their jobs.
Bell, 24, is the country's youngest mayor - having only been elected last year.
SHARE ME