Petition to reinstate Searancke tabled at council (+video)

A petition to reinstate councillor Glenys Searancke to her previous roles at the Rotorua Lakes Council won't make any difference - according to both the petitioners and the mayor.

Councillor Peter Bentley tabled the 760-signature petition as a matter of urgent business at a council meeting today calling for the reinstatement of Mrs Searancke to her role as Creative Communities portfolio leader. She has less than four months left before she retires after 30 years as a councillor.

The petition was received by the council and noted in the minutes. As it had not been placed on the agenda prior to the meeting, under the council's standing orders it could not be debated publicly.

Mrs Searancke was stripped of the portfolio lead, and removed as the council's representative on the Civic Arts Trust, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Trust and Bay of Plenty Regional Council public transport sub-committee, by mayor Steve Chadwick in December last year after Mrs Searancke refused to resign as chairwoman of the Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers group.

The petition was organised by Rotorua resident Jim Adams and Mr Bentley's wife and former councillor Maggie Bentley with signatures collected between March and June.

During a break in today's meeting Mr Bentley told the Rotorua Daily Post the point of the petition was bring attention to Mrs Searancke's demotion.

"Glenys has done 30 years of service to this city and if this is the treatment of somebody that has always put Rotorua first then we are on a sorry road." Mrs Searanke said she was hurt that at the end of 30 years she had the positions of responsibility taken from her
"because I was part of a democratic group".

"I would have liked to end my career in that role."

Mr Bentley and Mrs Searancke acknowledged the petition would not change anything.

"Of course it won't," Mr Bentley said.

"It is the principle of the matter."

Mrs Chadwick and council chief executive Geoff Williams said the matter had been resolved months ago.

"We dealt with these matters confidentially and I don't see a call for her reinstatement and the matter is closed," she said.

"I'm not surprised, I knew it was coming and I'd rather deal with these things between councillors confidentially. I had the full support of most of the council."