NZ's youngest mayor on leave as Gore councillors call for deputy to stand down

Thursday, 24 November 2022

Gore district councillors, from top left, Glenys Dickson, Bronwyn Reid, Joe Stringer, Richard McPhail, Paul McPhail, Neville Phillips and Bret Highsted have signed a requisition requesting councillor Stewart MacDonell be removed from the position of deputy mayor of the council.

Seven councillors have signed a requisition requesting councillor Stewart MacDonell be removed from the position of deputy mayor of the Gore District Council.

Meanwhile, the Gore council has confirmed Ben Bell, New Zealand’s youngest mayor, is on leave.

It comes after Bell chaired his first full council meeting on Tuesday, where his bid to have a personal assistant employed by the council was rejected, and he agreed to pay expenses occurred when his own executive assistant travelled with him for a meeting in Wellington. One councillor called the bid a “vanity project”.

The document, signed by councillors Richard McPhail, Bronwyn Reid, Glenys Dickson, Bret Highsted, Paul McPhail, Neville Phillips and Joe Stringer, gives notice that the councillors wish to meet on December 15 to vote on the removal of MacDonell as deputy mayor, and to elect a new deputy.

* Bell under fire at first Gore council meeting, council votes not to employ a personal assistant

* Mayor and councillor clash over committees ahead of Gore's first council meeting

Gore District mayor Ben Bell and former deputy mayor Cr Stewart MacDonell. (File photo)

The document was signed as being received by chief executive Stephen Parry at 4pm on Tuesday – the same time Bell was due to chair his first council meeting.

MacDonell, a one-term councillor who was elected unopposed in the Kaiwera-Waimumu ward, said only two of the councillors that had signed the document had discussed it with him.

“They have not had the guts to come and say hey, I signed this piece of paper and these are the reasons why. If they are not happy with Ben’s appointment then they have the right to challenge that – we live in a democracy.

“If they do not want me as deputy mayor then I will graciously step aside, but I am not sure what the problem is with me being deputy mayor.”

He believed he was giving Bell guidance and support as a new mayor.

Gore District deputy mayor Stewart MacDonell

“He’s a young man that is finding his way in the job as mayor. It is always difficult when a long-standing mayor is not re-elected and someone new steps in and councillors have to learn to work with someone new,’’ he said.

Highsted said the decision to sign the document was not taken lightly.

“The mayor needs to get the best possible advice, support and guidance in this role,’’ he said.

Ben Bell with Shanna Crosbie, who he hired as his own executive assistant.

“I genuinely want the council to work to together and all 12 elected members to travel in the same direction, led by the mayor.’’

Cr Richard McPhail said: “it would appear that our group considers that support and guidance is required for our mayor. We believe it’s lacking and it’s in the best interests of our community.’’

He said it was to the detriment of the community that the council’s committees were not up and running.

Gore District Mayor Ben Bell will chair his second council meeting on Tuesday. (File photo)

Cr Paul McPhail also said he did not believe Bell was getting the support he needed.

“We owe it to him for him to have good support.’’

Cr Neville Phillips said he would prefer to express the reasons he signed the document in a face-to-face meeting with MacDonell.

“I don’t want it to turn into a shit-fight in the media. I’d prefer to leave it to the council meeting, so I can look him in the eye and tell him why I signed,’’ he said.

Councillor Dickson did not want to comment on the issue, and Stringer, who stood for council on mayor Ben Bell’s Team Hokonui ticket, did not want to comment on why he signed the document.

Cr Bronwyn Reid did not return calls for comment.

Councillors John Gardyne, Robert McKenzie and Keith Hovell did not sign the document.

Bell has not returned calls for comment about the situation.

A council spokesperson confirmed he is on leave and is expected back in the office on Monday. The council did not know his whereabouts, the spokesperson said.

In a press release issued the day he was sworn in, Bell said he had chosen MacDonell to be deputy mayor because he had ‘’a wealth of knowledge and experience in finances which will be an asset in getting the council back to basics”.

“I believe Stewart has exceptional leadership skills and will be more than capable in helping me lead the Gore District Council in the direction our community needs.”

The issue will be discussed at an extraordinary meeting on December 15.

Bell’s proposed governance model was due to be discussed at Tuesday’s council meeting, but Bell said committee appointments would be discussed at the next council meeting, before declaring he appointed MacDonell as deputy mayor.