Mayoral court case cost Rotorua ratepayers $63K

Ratepayers forked out more than $63,000 to defend failed mayoral candidate Reynold Macpherson's legal challenge to the local election result, it has been revealed.

Rotorua Lakes Council incurred $63,487.48 in legal costs for counsel to prepare and attend the court case.

Dr Macpherson lodged a petition to the court in November for an inquiry into the conduct of council chief executive Geoff Williams during the election, claiming he was biased in favour of the incumbent mayor, Steve Chadwick, and that influenced the outcome.

In the petition he questioned the delayed release of a council-commissioned Community Satisfaction Survey dated June 30, which was released publicly by the council on October 26, after the election.

He wanted the election results declared void and a new election ordered for both the mayoralty and council.

The portion relating to the election of district councillors was thrown out of court and Dr Macpherson later withdrew his petition in relation to the mayoralty.

At the time, the Rotorua Daily Post reported that all parties had agreed continuing with the petition was in no one's interest and mounting legal costs were taken into consideration. Neither party would reveal details of the settlement.

Dr Macpherson represented himself while the council was represented by law firm Tompkins Wake.

The legal costs were revealed this week after local woman Samantha White requested it under the Local Government Official Information and Meeting Act.

The council initially declined to release it, however that was overruled by the Ombudsman.

"I don't believe there needed to be the challenge in the first place and he [Dr Macpherson] should have just accepted the election results," Ms White said.

"I believed the ratepayer therefore had a right to know what Dr Macpherson's action had cost ratepayers."

The Rotorua Daily Post approached Dr Macpherson for comment today, in light of the release of the cost amount.

"Since the evidence was in the public domain, for those who care for the facts, and the council's wasteful legal costs were rising rapidly, I decided to withdraw the petition in the public interest and rely on people's memories next time round."

Dr Macpherson said his court costs were limited to standard filing costs.

Glenys Searancke, chairwoman of the Rotorua Residents and Ratepayers Association, which endorsed Dr Macpherson as its mayoral candidate, said the expenditure was unfortunate, but "that's democracy at work".

The Rotorua Daily Post asked the council if the settlement with Dr Macpherson included a financial payout and whether the council considered requesting its legal costs be paid by Dr Macpherson when he withdrew his petition.

A council spokeswoman instead referred the Rotorua Daily Post to a statement on its website, which said "it [council] will make no further comment of the matter with Mr Macpherson, respecting the confidentiality that the parties agreed to at the time of the petition's withdrawal".

Dr Macpherson lost his mayoral campaign to Mrs Chadwick by 8990 votes to 6127.