Gore mayor Ben Bell walked out of meeting addressing issues between him and council chief executive

Friday, 31 March 2023

Gore district mayor Ben Bell would not answer questions from councillors at a meeting about his working relationship with council chief executive Stephen Parry. (File photo)

Gore district mayor Ben Bell walked out of a meeting which was held to discuss his working relationship with council chief executive Stephen Parry, before councillors could ask him questions.

“Yip, I walked out,’’ he said when asked about the incident.

The in-committee extraordinary meeting was held last Tuesday to address issues between the pair, which has resulted in the council having to appoint Cr Richard McPhail to act as an intermediary between them.

Bell said both he and Parry were invited to address councillors at the meeting, and councillors could then ask questions, but Bell said he left before any questions could be asked.

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Gore District Council chief executive Stephen Parry said the council will be considering the long term strategic purpose of the Gore Motor Camp. (File photo)

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“It was quite an emotional time for me. I didn’t want to answer their questions,’’ he said.

Stuff catches up with New Zealand's youngest mayor, Ben Bell, who lives in Gore.

He also confirmed that a $9000 legal bill incurred by Parry for mediation between the pair was discussed.

It’s understood Bell did not want the council to pay it. When asked why, Bell said he could not discuss it because the council had withheld that information in accordance with the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act Section 7 (2)(a).

Parry was approached for comment about the legal bill but would not speak about it because the item was discussed in-committee at the meeting.

The relationship between Bell and Parry was contentious from the beginning of Bell’s term as New Zealand’s youngest mayor.

Parry moved to correct the record that he had called Bell after he was elected as mayor, after Bell said he had not heard from the chief executive. Parry had called him, but he had not picked up the call.

In November, Parry estimated that Bell's proposed governance structure would cost the district council between $140,000 and $300,000 per year.

The same month, the council’s senior management team, including Parry, wrote to Bell saying his behaviour was ‘’taking a toll on staff’s mental well-being and health”.

A group of councillors also wrote to acting chief executive Rex Capil on December 1, saying Bell continued to isolate Parry and no attempts from the mayor to build a meaningful working relationship with the chief executive and wider staff were apparent.

They said his behaviour was ‘’deeply concerning’’ to them as Parry’s employer, and asked that the council’s insurer be advised of a potential employment issue.

At that time, Bell said he was working on building relationships with councillors and staff and working as a team.