By Grant Miller of 
Greater than $55,000 of ratepayers’ cash has been spent investigating Dunedin Metropolis Council code of conduct complaints because the 2019 election.
Dunedin Metropolis councillor Lee Vandervis (R).
Picture: RNZ / Tess Brunton
One case ($25,841) was when Cr Lee Vandervis was discovered to have behaved in an intimidating method when he confronted deputy mayor Christine Garey after a council assembly in July final yr.
One other case ($14,148) associated to a parking dispute involving Cr Vandervis earlier than the 2019 election, however the matter was contested in courtroom final yr.
A 3rd criticism ($12,003) stemmed from Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins disclosing data from a November 2019 assembly to former chief government Sue Bidrose when he mustn’t have.
The three instances have totalled $51,992 in prices to the council thus far. The knowledge was contained in a response to an Official Info Act request by The New Zealand Herald.
An August 2020 criticism by Cr Jules Radich towards Cr David Benson-Pope value $1202, but it surely was discovered to be with out substance.
Two extra complaints about on-line communication value a mixed $3668 however had been discovered to be non-material.
The Dunedin council’s value for such issues was the best in New Zealand.
This story first appeared on The Otago Every day Occasions web site.
