Playford Council mayor Glenn Docherty under pressure from disgruntled councillors to quit

Playford mayor Glenn Docherty is refusing to quit after failing to attend a confidential meeting to discuss his leadership.

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Playford mayor Glenn Docherty is standing firm after failing to attend a confidential meeting to discuss his leadership.

Mr Docherty boycotted the special council meeting on Tuesday which followed an email exchange with an elected member.

The councillor had asked Mr Docherty to call a special meeting to clarify statements he had made involving reporting obligations to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in the wake of the dismissal of former chief executive Mal Hemmerling and possible legal action against the council.

Mr Docherty refused, instead telling the councillor he objected to his email and was prepared to meet with him in the presence of a mediator.

This prompted the councillor to seek the support of other elected members to have a meeting to obtain legal advice on their obligations.

Several councillors tried to use the meeting to move a vote of no confidence against Mr Docherty but were advised to wait until State Ombudsman Wayne Lines finished investigating a code of conduct complaint made against him by councillors in January.

The meeting instead decided to pass a resolution to ask Mr Green, in consultation with Mr Docherty, to “engage a consultant to work with the chamber to identify and develop appropriate team behaviours and expectations of how elected members will work together to build the Playford Vision”.

Elected members lodged a complaint with Mr Lines in January following another special council meeting which received an independent report into Mr Docherty’s involvement with a sexual harassment allegation against Mr Hemmerling.

Playford Council mayor Glenn Docherty. Picture: Mike Burton

Councillors ordered the report after learning the complaint had been made by a female staff member last July but they were not informed by Mr Docherty until a councillor sent him an email seeking information last October.

Mr Docherty subsequently called a special council meeting on November 5 when elected members were in caretaker mode for the local government elections 12 days later, which saw nine new councillors elected.

They then became involved in a series of confidential meetings with lawyers and human resources consultants which culminated in the sacking of Mr Hemmerling in early December.

Mr Docherty has absented himself from the meetings, declaring a “perceived” conflict of interest because he was personally involved in the management of the complaint against Mr Hemmerling.

Mr Docherty, who has not attended three committee meetings this month, said he had not been told about the outcome of the latest special council meeting.

“I have not been informed by the acting CEO of any council motion, which may or may not impact on me,” he said.

“It is disappointing that I have to learn this outcome from the newspaper. I will consider any motion passed when made aware of it by council, until then I can’t comment.”

Mr Docherty confirmed a councillor had raised some matters with him in an email before Tuesday’s special council meeting.

“I disputed these allegations and in my opinion a number of these allegations are false, misleading and defamatory,” he said.

Mr Docherty said he had offered to meet with the councillor to resolve the issue with a mediator present but the councillor refused.

He was determined to continue leading Playford Council as it worked to revitalise the northern suburbs with a program of capital investment in major projects.

“I am always happy to work with my colleagues to continue to build on the great work that has been done for the City of Playford,” he said.

“I am just interested in getting on with the job of building a better Playford as I was elected to do with a resounding victory in last year’s council elections.”

Mr Docherty said he had medical certificates to prove he was ill when the council’s corporate governance, civic events and strategic planning committee met this month.