Naracoorte and Lucindale Council deputy mayor Monique Crossling see’s her term halved by council ‘boys club’

Irate residents from a regional town have been left fuming after several councillors backflipped on a unanimous decision and ‘retroactively’ undermined the outcome of an election result.

Deputy Mayor Monique Crossling has slammed a decision to re-examine her term length. Picture: Supplied

Residents at a regional council meeting stormed out in protest after the deputy mayor’s term in office was halved in a contentious vote.

Deputy mayor Monique Crossling from the Naracoorte and Lucindale Council slammed the decision to reduce her term from four years to two years and said it was hard not to take the move personally.

Ms Crossling said the point of deciding the term of office before nominating and electing a deputy mayor was to avoid influencing the councillors on how they would vote, concerning the deputy’s term.

“Which is exactly what is happening here,” she said.

Ms Crossling said the four-year term was agreed upon “ unanimously” in November.

“No one is forced to raise their hand. So I ask what has changed?” she said.

“The only part that has changed is the person who is now in the position ... me.”

Deputy Mayor Monique Crossling is fired up after elected members moved to half her term as deputy only after their preferred candidate lost. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Following Ms Crossling’s ascension, councillor Trevor Rayner attempted to roll back the unanimously passed motion and see the deputy mayor’s term reduced to two years.

Ms Crossling reiterated her previous statement and said if the vote had gone councillor Cameron Grundy’s way “we wouldn’t be having this discussion”.

“Looking in from the outside it probably doesn’t look like a boys club — but when you’re in the room and motions like this get put up — it’s hard to put that aside,” she said.

Councillor Trevor Rayner who moved a motion to halve the deputy mayor’s term has denied there was any sexist motivation behind the move. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Councillor Tom Dennis slammed the move to halve Ms Crossling’s term in office and called on the chamber to “call it what it is”.

“Their preferred candidate wasn’t successful so — retroactively (councillors have) attempted to undermine the outcome of the election result,” he said.

Councillor Damien Ross gave an impassioned speech and slammed Mr Rayner, telling the Messenger he supported the four-year term in November as the vote “happened pretty quickly” and he “didn’t realise it was happening”.

Mr Ross said he was “baffled” by the defence.

“He’s a long-term councillor with almost 30 years experience,” he said.

“The optics — someone didn’t get the outcome they wanted.”

Councillors Peter Ireland, Trevor Rayner and Andrew Downward who voted to halve the deputy mayor’s term gave similar reasons for doing so.

Mr Ireland said “convention should have been adhered to” with the deputy mayor’s term limited to two years.

Before being reminded to stick to discussing term limits, Mr Downward said he would prefer “the position and deputy mayor to be removed completely”.

Mr Grundy who also voted for a two-year term at Tuesday’s meeting did not make a speech to council.

After the vote, several audience members stormed out of the chamber, including former deputy mayor Craig McGuire and former councillor Julie Earl.

Outside Mr McGuire said he was unable to cast a vote as he had been among the 45 councillors who had been stood down.

Mr McGuire said it was the most embarrassed he had been by council in his 17 years in office.

“This is probably the most divisive council I’ve ever been in — this is a clear indication in my mind where the next four years is going to be,” he said.