Coolgardie councillors hit with two motions of no confidence at annual electors' meeting

West Australian

a day ago

Shire of Coolgardie ratepayers made their opinions on the shire's dire financial situation known at the recent annual electors' meeting, raising votes of no confidence in the council and calling for councillors to resign.
There was a full house of electors in the council room during the July 31 meeting, which saw five motions put forward to be considered by councillors at the next ordinary meeting.
Two motions were in support of council's position paper to Local Government Minister Hannah Beazley against the proposed boundary adjustment with the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder and instead in favour of the shire having more time to continue its financial recovery.
Those motion passed 32-4 and 26-10.
Two motions of no confidence in the elected members were passed 27-18 and 29-17, and the other motion was for acting chief executive Aaron Cook to preside over the meeting, instead of shire president Mal Cullen.
However, while this last motion was passed, the shire said under the legislation the president is required to chair an annual electors' meeting.
Widgiemooltha resident Jan McLeod and Coolgardie resident Rod Higgins, a shire councillor from 1988-94, both stood up to express their disappointment with the current council and each presented a motion of no confidence.
Ms McLeod's motion read: 'I move a vote of no confidence in this current council, as they have failed in their duties under Section 2.7: The role of council; 1b is responsible for the performance of the local government's functions and 2a, oversee the allocation of the local government's finances and resources of the Local Government Act 1995.'
Mr Higgins' motion stated: 'I move a vote of no confidence in the shire president and the councillors, calling for their immediate resignation, allowing for an administrator to be put in place to sort out our financial problem as it cannot and should not be allowed to continue.'
Before proposing his motion, Mr Higgins read to councillors a letter he had written.
'I would like to express my disappointment in the council and the president, which have failed to uphold their duty and responsibility to its ratepayers,' he said.
'We cannot trust you to deliver a sustainable government or prioritise our community's needs.
'Councillors, and I use that word very lightly, should hold their head in shame . . . We have gone from a once proud community to the laughingstock, appearing in cartoons making fun of our shire . . . Then when you think it can't get any worse, some clown makes a media statement threatening the Minister for Local Government with court action, seriously, do you think we could afford this?'
Mr Higgins told the Kalgoorlie Miner he wanted to take action for the sake of the Shire of Coolgardie community.
'This wasn't something that I took lightly in moving this motion, but I think that the hurt inside the community and the misinformation that they were getting from council — somebody need to do something about it and move forward with it,' he said.
'As an ex-councillor, you've got to have respect for your community and your responses in regard to questions that come from your community . . . They should be answered in a truthful manner, and they should be answered with respect, and I certainly found that not to be the case (at the meeting).'
Mr Higgins said his motion was strictly based on the council's performance and had nothing to do with the recently proposed boundary adjustment suggested by Ms Beazley.
He said if he was to raise his opinion on the topic, he would want the government to implement an amalgamation rather than a boundary change.
'I think it gives us our identity still,' he said.
'But having said that, whether it's a boundary change or whether it's an amalgamation, Coolgardie is still Coolgardie, its history is here, the people are here and that's not going to change.'
Ms McLeod told the Kalgoorlie Miner the boundary change was brought up by electors at the meeting, along with the shire's financial mismanagement.
The shire confirmed another 36 additional documents were provided, 33 of which were motions confirming the vote of no confidence on behalf of people who could not attend.
The shire said those documents would be noted in the minutes, as would the other three statements which were not formal motions.
When asked if the shire would like to respond to criticism raised by Mr Higgins during the meeting, Cr Cullen said the council had listened and taken on board 'all the other issues raised, particularly the loss of trust in council'.
'Council is acutely aware of the community's loss of trust and antagonism regarding those decisions and actions contributing to the shire's current situation,' he said.
'Council again deeply apologises to all residents and ratepayers and is working diligently with the shire administration to continue improving its financial position.'
He said he was looking forward to the local government election in October where four seats — including his — would be open for community members who wished to be part of the shire's recovery and rebuilding.
Crs Sheryl Botting's, Kathie Lindup's and Rose Mitchell's terms on the council are also expiring at the October election.