Councillor looking into taking leave
Invercargill City Councillor and mayoral hopeful Toni Biddle has indicated she is looking to apply for three months leave from the council for family reasons.
Biddle is a first term councillor and in December announced she would run against Sir Tim Shadbolt for the mayoralty at the elections in October.
When contacted by The Southland Times Biddle confirmed she was looking into applying for three months leave from council but stressed an application had not yet been lodged.
‘‘My family is my priority. That’s all I have really got to say at the moment.’’
At this stage, she remained in the mayoral race, she said.
As well as her council role Biddle is also the chairperson of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill.
If a councillor was to apply for leave it would start with a letter to council chief executive Clare Hadley.
Hadley would then present the request to council for council to consider. ‘‘A councillor can apply for leave for a range of reasons,’’ Hadley said.
‘‘I believe Invercargill previously granted a leave of absence to a councillor who had sporting duties overseas. ‘‘Palmerston North City has just given parental leave to one of their councillors. ‘‘The leave is to make it clear to all concerned that the councillor is not available for council related duties during that period and apologies are not required to be presented to meetings.’’ Hadley said the period of time that a councillor could be granted leave of absence was a matter between the councillor and council. Remuneration payments would continue to be made while a councillor was on leave, Hadley said.