Adelaide Hills mayor refuses to quit as council doubles down

A standoff is brewing in the Adelaide Hills as the divided council demands its mayor resign over a confidential, $45,000 report - and she’s sent to work from the library.

The Adelaide Hills Mayor “covertly” recorded fellow councillors, it’s been alleged, as she refuses to resign - and has been told to repay $45,000 her council spent in legal fees to investigate a complaint against her.

Mayor Jan-Claire Wisdom’s council voted on Tuesday night to censure her, alleging a “complex” investigation sparked by a secret complaint into her behaviour found she had bullied staff and misled the community and council.

It requested she resign by 5pm on Friday - which she has not - apologise, and repay the investigation fees of $45,000.

A “deeply distressed, shocked” Dr Wisdom said she challenged the findings and was not given “proper opportunity” to respond before the vote took place.

She is seeking legal advice, saying she informed council she was unable to be present for the vote for medical reasons, and was alarmed it went ahead.

The Adelaide Hills Mayor's new office in Stirling Coventry Library, where she has been sent to work away from council staff. Picture Supplied

Two motions were before council - the vote for council to take action on the behavioural complaint was unanimous, whereas a vote regarding actions council should take was not.

Cr Kirrilee Boyd unsuccessfully sought to move that second motion to December to properly “digest” it first.

Dr Wisdom said the “complex” resolution was sent to councillors less than three hours before the meeting started.

Cr Louise Pascale said some sanctions were too severe and the motion set up a public perception another female leader was being “crucified”. She then left the meeting.

Dr Wisdom said just eight councillors were present for the second vote, instead of the full 12.

Cr Nathan Daniell said the investigation provided “procedural fairness to the Mayor”, had found she had breached eight standards and she had covertly recorded a conversation with elected members.

Cr Chris Grant told the meeting the sanctions were not “punitive” but to protect council “from damage” that had breached standards.

The Mayor’s office has been moved from the administration office to a glass box in the library, but he said this was not to exclude the mayor, but to prevent her from “actions that were wrong”.

“We cannot rely on the mayor to act on council’s behalf,” Cr Grant said.

Dr Wisdom said she was “shocked” by the council’s actions and believed the matter was to be kept confidential, but the council said it was made public “as required under the Local Government Act”.

She said she discovered her council voted for her to resign when a journalist called her the next day.

Council said she was emailed after the meeting ended.

“Even if the Mayor had attended the meeting, under the Local Government Act she would most likely not have been in the chamber for the behavioural complaint matter due to a material conflict of interest,” Council CEO Greg Georgopoulos said.

“All allegations were put to the Mayor through the independent investigation and the Mayor was provided ample opportunity to respond to these allegations. The Mayor’s responses were taken into account by the independent inquiry when making their findings.”

If the mayor declines to resign, she would continue to undertake her legislated roles, the council said, while roles appointed to her by council would fall to the deputy mayor or her delegate.

Dr Wisdom said earlier reports she had sought legal advice without permission was incorrect and she had authority to do so under the policy she used.