No confidence in Feyen
Controversial Horowhenua mayor Michael Feyen has copped a noconfidence vote from seven out of eight councillors at the dysfunctional council’s latest verbal jousting.
But Feyen has remained upbeat, saying he is encouraged by the level of public support he has, and is proud of some of the work the council is achieving.
‘‘It’s better that it’s out in the open. I’m still the mayor. I’m not standing down. Nothing changes.’’
Monday’s meeting was required after councillors walked out on Feyen’s year-in-review speech last week.
The resumed meeting was attended by a vocal group of observers, who Feyen had to ask several times to be quiet or they would have to leave.
Feyen said he had not seen the detail of deputy mayor Wayne Bishop’s no-confidence motion until it was put up on screen halfway through the meeting.
He questioned whether to allow a debate, but he allowed the debate to go ahead because ‘‘everybody seems so keen to have it on the table’’.
‘‘I’m going to let him [Bishop] say what he wants. I’m into transparency.’’
The debate was dogged by faulty microphones and by people calling out from the public gallery in support of the mayor.
Feyen told them they had to listen and not speak.
‘‘I want people in here, not an excuse to push you out the door.’’
Bishop said Feyen’s style was divisive and that he had failed to understand that although he was mayor, he had only one vote and he had not taken advice.
He said Feyen’s attacks on chief executive David Clapperton and accusations about others had harmed reputations, and his media commentary had allowed confidential information to be released.
‘‘He has abused his role as chairman in meetings in order to grandstand before the public gallery, livestream and media.’’
Bishop said displeasure came to a head last week, when councillors were blocked from giving reports about success stories of the year, but Cr Ross Campbell was allowed to make a public attack undermining Clapperton.
‘‘It was such an abuse of power, councillors had no choice but to leave,’’ said Bishop.
A second vote noted that in future, comments Feyen made should be noted as not representing the views of the council and staff.
His only supporter, Campbell, said the action against the mayor was ‘‘nothing short of disgraceful’’.
It was a detailed putdown, but came as no surprise as councillors had publicly advertised their support to the chief executive, not the mayor, shortly after the October 2016 elections.
‘‘I’m only surprised it took them so long,’’ said Feyen.
He said his election had come as a shock to other councillors and staff, and indicated the community wanted a fundamental change.
He described councillors’ criticisms of him as ‘‘a load of codswallop’’.
He said any claim he had abused staff was absolute rubbish.
The motion of no-confidence could not make him go away.
‘‘Only voters do that. And I really want to get on with things.’’
After the vote and a short recess, Feyen continued to chair the meeting through to the end.
Bishop said later that the vote was largely symbolic.
‘‘Sadly, in local government, there are very few teeth.
‘‘In reality, from the outside, nothing much will change.’’
But he said the councillors believed they had to do what they could to balance aspects of the mayor’s behaviour.
‘‘By doing nothing, we were almost condoning. We had to say to our community that what he says is often not the council position.’’
Campbell was the only councillor to oppose the vote. Feyen abstained, and councillors Christine Mitchell and Piri-hira Tukapua sent apologies for not attending.
‘‘He has abused his role as chairman in meetings in order to grandstand before the public gallery, livestream and media.’’ Wayne Bishop, deputy mayor