My Account
Beth Houlbrooke
Greg Sayers
A claim by Rodney Councillor Greg Sayers that he was “gagged from speaking” at a Rodney Local Board meeting, which voted on a controversial targeted rate, has been dismissed as “trouble making” by Local Board chair Beth Houlbrooke.
Following the meeting on May 24, Cr Sayers wrote an email to Mahurangi Matters saying normally he would be able to attend the board meetings, but got a message two days beforehand from the board chair saying that he was “gagged from speaking”.
“She [Beth Houlbrooke] added that to achieve this she would follow Standing Orders under which my usual speaking rights would be revoked,” Cr Sayers wrote.
“This is very unusual because I usually always have speaking rights at Board meetings. She didn’t want me to speak against the targeted rate. This is why I did not attend the meeting.”
But Ms Houlbrooke said there was no question of Cr Sayers’ rights being revoked.
“Once a motion is put on the table, and moved and seconded, only those who are voting can speak to the motion,” she said.
As Cr Sayers was not a member of the Board, he was not entitled to vote.
“You could ask any other local board the same question – no other local board would allow their councillor to speak on a voting matter; it’s just not done,” Ms Houlbrooke said.
Moreover, Ms Houlbrooke believed Cr Sayers had no intention of attending the meeting anyway, since a Council Governing Body Meeting was being held on the same day.
“To miss a meeting where you do have a vote and an important say for Rodney, and come to ours where you don’t would make no sense. That would be irresponsible,” she said.
Ms Houlbrooke said Cr Sayers was making trouble for no good reason.
“I’m really quite annoyed because he is making a habit of doing this. I really don’t know what his end game is.”
Minutes of the Council Governing Body meeting held at Auckland Town Hall on May 24 record that Cr Sayers was present from 9.33am and left the meeting at 12.10pm. The Rodney Local Board meeting held on the same day started at 11.30am and concluded at 12.26pm at the Council Service Centre in Orewa.
