Mayor accused of breaking the law

Councillor Rob Kent accused mayor Steve Chadwick of breaking the law while members of the public yelled "shame on you" to councillors, during a dramatic final council meeting of 2015.

Yesterday's Rotorua Lakes Council meeting was attended by several members of Te Arawa and the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers society.

At the beginning of the meeting Mr Kent said Mrs Chadwick had made serious breaches of the law in her "shameful dismissal of councillor Searancke".

Mrs Searanke, who has been a councillor for almost 30 years, was stripped of her roles as leader of the council's Creative Communities portfolio and the council's representative on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's public transport sub-committee.

Mr Kent was one of six councillors who voted against the meeting moving into confidentiality to discuss the issue of Mrs Searancke's stripped roles. The motion was carried seven to six.

Councillor Mark Gould asked for a clarification as to why the item 'Recommendation 8: Council representation on other entities' was confidential when in previous meetings it was always on the open agenda.

Mrs Chadwick said it was a ruling of hers.

"It is an item that council officers have recommended be in confidentiality, I have agreed following our meeting that we need full and frank discussion and that will be held in confidence. As the chair of these proceedings that is my ruling."

Councillor Peter Bentley said the general public had a right to know what was going on in this council "because they voted for us".

Members of the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers society yelled "shame on you" after being asked to leave the council chamber for the confidential section.

Society secretary Reynold Macpherson, who is representing the group in the mayoral race next year, later told the Rotorua Daily Post members were "pretty angry" following the meeting.

"There has been outrage that Glenys, one of the most respected members in the community, has been treated like this."

Mrs Chadwick could not yet be reached to respond.