By WAYNE THOMPSON
A brush with cancer has not deterred the Deputy Mayor of Rodney District, Arnold Gosling, from trying to save the council from the Government's axe.
Mr Gosling said yesterday he felt well enough to head a caretaker council, although he was halfway through chemotherapy treatment after surgery for bowel cancer.
The health of the 65-year-old Helensville representative was a question mark in the council's ability to preserve the quorum of seven it needs to conduct business after Mayor Doug Armstrong and five councillors resigned.
They quit last Tuesday saying the council was dysfunctional and elections should be called as soon as possible.
The decision took Mr Gosling by surprise and, according to Mr Armstrong, the two friends had their first disagreement in his eight years as mayor.
"I was pretty distressed by Doug's resignation," said Mr Gosling, "and I'll back him if he stands at the byelection."
But Mr Gosling said he disagreed that the council was dysfunctional because it was still up to date with such work as resource consent approvals.
He was also opposed to resigning when he had done nothing wrong.
Although he had taken his lawyer's advice, he said, it was not because he planned legal action for possible wrongful dismissal.
He would be acting mayor and do as many civic duties as he could. He would chair next Thursday's ordinary council meeting - "though I won't be sitting in Doug's chair. I see myself as a coordinator, holding things together and getting on with the job."
That meeting could be the present council's last, as it has only until April 5 to persuade Local Government Minister Sandra Lee not to take a review authority's advice to sack the council and bring in a commissioner.
Mr Gosling said he saw no point in the council putting too much energy into its written submissions, which councillors are refining at present for sending to the minister.
After speaking to the minister, he felt she would be more impressed if the council "shows its consensus and goodwill in dealing with business items. The minister is monitoring things and expects us to get on with the job."
Mr Gosling said he was encouraged by the conversation with the minister.
He was also confident there would be no more resignations, and no more of the strife and bitter personality clashes of the last five months. He had talked individually to each of the surviving councillors.
They were a "balanced group of intelligent people."
Although he had as chairman of a turbulent council meeting last September ejected a surviving councillor, Ross Meurant, he said: "I've always got on all right with Ross. And I'm sure I can get along with the people who are there now."
Mr Gosling predicted a "model council meeting" on Thursday.
"I'm a moderate type but I can be firm, and see that council's standing orders are followed."
Rodney deputy gets on with job
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.