Onkaparinga councillors call for special meeting to put Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg on notice

ONKAPARINGA Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg faces a vote of no confidence in the wake of ongoing criticism surrounding her council.

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ONKAPARINGA Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg faces a vote of no confidence in the wake of ongoing criticism surrounding her council.

Councillor Robyn Holtham, with support of colleagues Bill Jamieson, Jonathan Deakin, Martin Bray and Peter Schulze, has called for a special meeting to “put Lorraine on notice”.

She said the meeting would likely go ahead next week.

It follows a number of controversial issues at the council, including Ms Rosenberg initially defending chief executive Mark Dowd’s $6818 ratepayer-funded joining fee to Kooyonga Golf Club. Ms Rosenberg later said the saga should never had happened.

The State Ombudsman is also investigating the council’s credit card spending.

Onkaparinga Mayor and LGA President Lorraine Rosenberg. Picture: Matt Turner

Cr Holtham, who is running for mayor at the council’s November election, said a vote of no-confidence would restore the community’s faith in the council.

“Lorraine has never really acknowledged any responsibility with regards to the Kooyonga stuff and has basically deflected it all on to councillors,” Cr Holtham said.

“Then to go on to … say she rules with an iron fist is just inappropriate.”

Cr Holtham said the community wanted less dysfunction in the chamber.

“They want a major shake up and are basically fed up with the status quo, and they have been for some time,” she said.

She also called for changes to a council committee that reviews Mr Dowd’s performance, saying “it needs to be opened up and made more independent”.

Ms Rosenberg said she was unaware of the request for a special meeting and would not comment further.

The pressure on Ms Rosenberg came as Mitcham Mayor Glenn Spear yesterday resigned from the board of the Local Government Association. Mr Spear said he was standing down because of the LGA’s decision to investigate giving board members a bumper pay rise, as revealed in The Advertiser.

Mitcham Mayor Glenn Spear resigned from the LGA board because of its decision to investigate pay rises for board members. Picture: AAP / Keryn Stevens

“Given I’m a mayor that’s proposing efficiencies in local government, to then have this sort of headline makes my position untenable,” Mr Spear said.

The LGA, of which Ms Rosenberg is president, is considering spending $240,000 a year on board member fees, up from $76,000.

Mr Spear said he was shocked by the LGA’s lack of “commercial sensibilities” and was “very concerned” when the pay increase was proposed at its last board meeting.

“I was shocked that at the time that we’re debating a position on rate capping, such a thing would become public knowledge and they’d be talking about it,” he said.

Ms Rosenberg thanked Mr Spear for his service, but questioned his motives.

She said Mr Spear voted for the LGA’s 2018/19 budget, which included provision for the higher board member fees.