My Account
Wellsford Rodney Local Board member Colin Smith tried to get Kumeu member Brent Bailey to step down as chair of the Board at the monthly business meeting on December 7.
Smith made his move at the start of proceedings, saying he would like to propose a motion for Bailey to vacate the chair “due to your admission of conduct”.
He was referring to a public apology published in a Kumeu newspaper this month, where Bailey said he had made statements about a Kumeu businessman at a Rodney candidates’ meeting in September that were “entirely incorrect, false and misleading”.
Smith’s attempt was swiftly quashed by Board area manager Lesley Jenkins, who said he could not do that and it would need to be moved to the extraordinary business section of the agenda.
However, when Smith raised the matter later, Jenkins again cut him off, saying any such motion had to be made in writing.
“If you’re asking the chair to step down, you can’t do that at this meeting. You can’t make resolutions against (the chair) in extraordinary business, I was incorrect,” she said. “Under Clause 18 of the Local Government Act, you need to do it in writing and give 21 days’ notice of the meeting.”
Bailey himself said nothing as the exchanges were taking place.
