Council house exceeds budget
SUVA City Council had asked its engineer Cecil Bradnam to resign because of the amount of money spent on renovating a council house allocated for his use.
But the council’s decision to ask him to quit was not unanimous. At a closed session after the council’s meeting, four of about 15 councillors present urged reconsideration of the matter.
This newspaper had reported on the issue on Wednesday, April 12, 1972. According to the council sources, of those opposing the departure of Mr Bradnam was a member of the four men sub-committee which recommended his resignation.
The row involving the city engineer, who had been on leave in Australia since December, blew up over the cost of renovating and extending a house in Sukuna Rd.
The house was previously occupied by a former town clerk, Ronald Balfour.
The sources said a vote for staff quarters allowed $4000 for improvements to the house before its occupation by Mr Bradnam.
But spending on the job climbed to $13,000. The work included the addition of a bedroom.
“A committee of inquiry was appointed by the council because Bradnam had not given a satisfactory explanation about the over-spending,” the source said.
The chairman was the Mayor, Councillor Macu Salato, assisted by Councillor Gordon Larsen, Raojibhai Patel and Lockson Mar.
Cr. Larsen was asked by the committee to inspect the work done on the house.
When the committee brought its recommendation before the full council, Cr Patel was reported to have changed his mind about getting Mr Bradnam to quit.
He and several other councillors approached by the Fiji Times declined to discuss the matter.
So did the two clerks, Archie Seeto. Mr Seeto said no council officers were present when the council discussed the sub-committee’s report. Of three other councillors approached, one said he abstained from the vote on Mr Bradnam, one said he supported the resignation recommendation and another said he opposed it.
“I personally have a lot of time for
Mr Bradnam, but ratepayers have been asking why all the money on building a palace when the maintenance of our roads is so much more important,” the councillor who called for the resignation said.
The other councillor said he could not see what all the fuss was about when the cost of rebuilding Queens Rd had been underestimated by half.
Mr Bradnam, a Fiji born man, had been with the city council for about 20 years at the time and was promoted from deputy chief engineer to engineer.
The council’s decision was conveyed to Bradnam in a letter from the Mayor.
This newspaper had reported on the issue on Wednesday, April 12, 1972. According to the council sources, of those opposing the departure of Mr Bradnam was a member of the four men sub-committee which recommended his resignation
The Fiji Times