A war of words has erupted after long-time City of Mandurah councillor Peter Rogers walked away from his role last Monday.
Mr Rogers, who planned to take part in two more council meetings, said his resignation would now be immediate after mayor Amber Kearns’ parting words last week.
The former councillor cited leadership and a lack of strategic direction as reasons behind his decision.
Ms Kearns said she disagreed with much of what Mr Rogers said in his resignation letter.
“(I) am disappointed that he has made the decision to walk away from his role with two years still left to run in his term,” she said.
“Local government is an environment where differing views, robust discussion and healthy debate are not only expected but are an important part of good governance and decision making. That should not be mistaken for dysfunction.”
In a letter sent to city CEO Casey Mihovilovich, Mr Rogers attacked claims made by the mayor in her statement.
“The mayor has stated that my letter alleged ‘dysfunction’ within the council — I did not and have not made this statement. Any concerns regarding dysfunction are based on the mayor’s own concerns regarding council,” Mr Rogers wrote.
“Additionally, the mayor made comments that I’ve had ‘limited involvement’ in the day-to-day discussions and activities of the city.
“The mayor should know that councillors are not involved in day-to-day discussions of the city, as this would not respect the line between council and administration. This is a false statement, as I have been reading all my briefing papers, council reports, and update emails over the course of my time on approved leave from council.”
In his original resignation statement, Mr Rogers said he had “concluded that the council’s leadership and lack of strategic direction fall short of what is required to maintain the high standards and level of achievement we have come to expect”.
“While my commitment to the Mandurah community remains unchanged, the council no longer aligns with my professional values or expectations for effective governance, and as a result, the only honest and responsible course of action for me to take is to step away from my role to allow for renewed representation,” he said.
In his letter to the CEO, Mr Rogers disparaged claims his resignation letter called into question the capability of the city’s administration, adding that he thanked staff for their hard work.
“My resignation letter made no adverse comment with respect to dedication and performance of the staff,” he wrote.
The former councillor also took issue with an image shared by the mayor on Facebook into which he had been photoshopped.
“I never provided permission to be photoshopped into the council photo which ended up on the mayor’s personal Facebook page,” Mr Rogers wrote.
In her statement, Ms Kearns said she was disappointed the city would need to hold and pay for an extraordinary election to fill the vacancy created by Mr Rogers’ early departure.
Mr Rogers was elected as Town ward councillor in 2014 and his current term was set to expire in 2027.
But in his letter to the CEO, Mr Rogers claimed this was a common process in local government and the mayor’s comments were in “poor taste”, adding: “By-elections are common processes - I myself was elected in 2014 during a by-election”.
Mr Rogers ran for mayor last year, but Ms Kearns won the election.
Premier Roger Cook conceded earlier this month the sector was a “mess” after he was asked to comment on dysfunction in local government after resignations at the Shire of Carnarvon.
However, Mr Cook said he “doesn’t think it’s necessary” to force amalgamations of local governments and that the State Government wants to work with the sector and not against it.
“We do want to make sure that local governments provide value for money for ratepayers, and also they don’t get taken for granted,” he said.
“So in places where you see the councils losing their way or becoming dysfunctional, we’ll crack down on that, and we’ve made no apology about that.”
