Council’s new turmoil
Pair’s meeting frictions boil over into an angry spat
A community council hit by a mass resignation two years ago was this week facing further consternation.
Mercat Cross and City Centre Community Council’s monthly meeting last Thursday ended with raised voices and a bitter exchange between its chairman Andrew Szwebs and council member Jim Fisher.
There had been friction between the two men throughout the meeting over items including acquiring planters to brighten up the Top of the Town and proposed adoption of a complaints procedure for the community council.
But tempers boiled over when Mr Szwebs closed the meeting after refusing to allow Mr Fisher to bring up a matter under ‘any other competent business’.
An angry Mr Fisher jumped to his feet and wagged his finger at Mr Szwebs, describing him in disparaging terms as an “internet troll” and condemned the way he was chairing the community council before walking out.
Mr Fisher later told the Observer he intended to move a motion of no confidence in Mr Szwebs at the next meeting, while Mr Szwebs insisted he had no intention of standing down.
Discontent had been simmering between Mr Szwebs and other members of the community council over a proposal at the previous meeting to invite former SNP provost of Stirling Fergus Wood to a meeting to discuss a possible twinning link between an are area in France and the Top of the Town.
The move was agreed even though some councillors were unenthusiastic. Mr Fisher opposed the invitation and made derogatory remarks about Mr Wood.
Following the February meeting, Mr Szwebs emailed community council members to say he could not believe such comments had been made about the former provost in a public meeting attended by the press.
He believed the remarks had the potential to damage the council’s reputation and possibly leave it open to legal action.
He also reminded members of guidance, issued to all community councils, advising members to ensure there was no conflict between their personal views and those of the community they represent.
Mr Fisher was angry about the contents of the email and attempted to raise the matter during the course of last week’s meeting and at the end when proceedings were brought to an abrupt end by Mr Szwebs.
Following the meeting, held at the Tolbooth, Mr Fisher said: “I became utterly exasperated being constantly interrupted during the meeting. I was unhappy about the content of the email and the way he (Mr Szwebs) refused to allow me to bring the matter up under AOCB. I am going to be requesting a vote of no confidence in the chairman at the next meeting.”
Mr Szwebs, plus his partner Melanie Cowie and teenage daughter Kathleen, were elected to the community council in late 2016 after the previous chairman David Black and eight others resigned because of tensions within the council over conduct and procedure.
He would only say: “Community councillors are elected by the community we serve, and there are procedures in place regarding the election of a chairperson which I am happy to abide by.”
Mr Szwebs, suspected in 2015 of setting up a fake Twitter account parodying Stirling Council’s deputy leader Neil Benny, denied being an “internet troll” and said he was not involved in running the community council’s social media accounts.
A community council source said: “Andy has not done anything wrong. This is a storm in a teacup. He is trying to take the council forward but every idea he comes up with faces criticism. There are issues, certainly with Jim’s behaviour, which might need to be addressed.”