Tea Tree Gully Council dismisses Cr Alicia Schlueter after missing three consecutive meetings

An Adelaide council has sacked one of its councillors after she kept missing meetings without any explanation.

Elected members may dismiss Cr Alicia Schlueter on Tuesday night. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Emma Brasier.

Tea Tree Gully councillor Alicia Schlueter has been sacked by elected members for missing three consecutive meetings.

After more than an hour of debate on Tuesday night, elected members backed Rob Unger’s move, 6-5, to dismiss Cr Schlueter under a breach of the Local Government Act.

An elected member can be removed from office by the council if they are absent from three or more ordinary council meetings without seeking leave.

Cr Schlueter was contacted by council, via letter and an email, to provide an explanation by August 18 for her absence from three council meetings, on July 13, 26 and August 10.

However, Cr Schlueter then said at the meeting she wasn’t aware of the requests from the council until she spoke to the council’s chief executive John Moyle on Tuesday afternoon.

“I was informed a letter was put in my letter box … for some reason I haven’t received,” Cr Schlueter said.

Cr Alicia Schlueter could be dismissed by Tea Tree Gully Council. Picture: Facebook

“I don’t whether I’ve scooped it up, chucked it out …”

In an email to Mr Moyle – 18 minutes before the council meeting began on Tuesday night – Cr Schlueter said she had failed to attend the July meetings due to ill health and could not log into the August meeting because of technical difficulties.

“I would like to remain on council and see out my term of office,” she said.

However, Cr Rob Unger said the council had to “draw a line in the sand” and disputed Cr Schlueter’s belief she had not received correspondence from the council.

“It’s a damn big issue with a lot of interest from a lot of people except from the one person that matters the most,” Cr Unger said.

“She’s been provided with ample opportunity. We have to address this.”

Cr Damian Wyld said it was a “horrible thing” to have to stand up and support Cr Unger’s move.

However, he said Cr Schlueter’s written explanation, provided 18 minutes before the meeting began, was insufficient.

“It’s not an issue we can simply let slide by,” Cr Wyld said. “It’s not in anybody’s interests to let this matter drag on. It’s a horrible thing to stand in judgment of a peer.

“I did not intend to come here tonight and put my name to this, but I feel that somebody has to do it.”

Mayor Kevin Knight congratulated elected members on making a “very very tough decision”.

“I’m not keen to see a supplementary election but I don’t know any alternative,” Mr Knight said.

EARLIER: Tea Tree Gully Council may sack one of its councillors for failing to attend three meetings in a row.

Tonight, elected members may vote to remove Cr Alicia Schlueter under the Local Government Act.

Or, it could remind the first-time councillor of the importance of attending council meetings, and the need to provide an early apology or seek a leave of absence.

An elected member can be removed from office by the council if they are absent from three or more ordinary council meetings without seeking leave.

Cr Schlueter has been absent from the July 13, 26 and August 10 meetings, a report tabled with the council revealed.

While late apologies were received for the first two meetings, leave of absence was not requested on any of those occasions, it found.

Cr Schlueter received an email from staff early on August 10, advising her of the “potential consequences” of missing a further meeting and she could request a leave of absence if required.

She then arrived late at the August 10 meeting, but was unable to connect with the online meeting due to technical difficulties before it finished at 8.26pm.

“It is noted that Cr Schlueter was physically present in the council building and, if the meeting had been an in-person meeting, Cr Schlueter would have been able to attend at least a portion of the council meeting without incident,” the report stated.

However, a request from the chief executive John Moyle for Cr Schlueter to provide a written submission outlining the reason for being absent for three consecutive meetings by August 18 was not responded to, as of August 19 at 9.30am.

The council has been asked if Cr Schlueter has since provided an explanation.

A supplementary election for the Hilcott Ward would cost up to $50,000.

Cr Schlueter declined to comment.