Councillor says no negative feedback from n-word

Monday, 6 July 2020

Taupo District Councillor John Boddy flagging off entrants in a Taupo Vintage Car Club fundraising rally.

A Taupō District Councillorwho used the n-word in a meeting says he has not received any negative feedback.

John Boddy is now the subject of a code of conduct complaint after dubbing himself the “n….. in the woodpile” on a rates issue at Tuesday’s full council meeting.

Boddy had earlier said that Taupō Mayor David Trewavas had expressed concern about his safety and that of his wife following the incident.

While largely keeping mum since, Boddy on Wednesday , again apologised and said that there had been no feedback after his verbal gaffe.

“It’s a waiting game now and I’m making no comment to anyone,” he said then.

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Fellow councillors and Gareth Green, the council’s chief executive officer took issue with his use of the phrase, sparking an investigation.

The council itself can not yet say when the investigation will be finalised.

He apologised for the comment at the time and has again subsequently.

In a council release on Monday a media spokesperson said: “An independent investigator has been engaged and is currently confirming the investigation process, including time frames. We will be able to provide more details regarding this, once they have been confirmed.”

Earlier the council’s media arm said that the particular clauses in the Code of Conduct that related to the complaint would be confirmed as part of the investigation.

Section 12.2 of the code notes that all complaints “must be made in writing and forwarded to the chief executive. On receipt of a complaint the chief executive must forward the complaint to the Mayor or, where the Mayor is a party to the complaint, an independent investigator, drawn from a pool of names or agency.”

The investigator is charged with providing a report with recommendations, with any actions then determined by the Code of Conduct Committee – made up of the Mayor and councillors.

“The elected members that have made a complaint will not be able to be involved in any decisions made in relation to this investigation,” said the council's head of democracy, governance and venues Tina Jakes.

This aspect of the process was currently being worked through with the investigator, she said.

Only councillors and the chief executive can make a complaint under the code, the code says.

It lists a range of penalties and actions that can follow a complaint being judged ‘material’ as well as provision for it to be dismissed as ‘non-material’.

Penalties and actions depend on the seriousness of the breach but range from a letter of censure to an invitation to consider resigning from the council.

Other potential penalties could be tendering an apology, attending training or working with a mentor.