Onkaparinga councillors say ratepayers deserve answers on credit card spending and CEO Mark Dowd’s Kooyonga golf repayments

AMID revelations of huge sums spent on Apple products, city hotel stays and an Adelaide Oval rooftop climb, an Adelaide council is under pressure to detail staff spending — including credit card statements.

Onkaparinga Council chief executive Mark Dowd, Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg and Chinese magistrate Su Jingwen visiting as part of a Chinese delegation to McLaren Vale. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

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ONKAPARINGA Council needs to release more details of staff spending — including credit card statements and repayments of the chief executive’s golf club membership — disgruntled councillors say.

The council today again refused to release details of Mark Dowd’s repayment plan concerning his $6818 ratepayer-funded membership to a prestigious golf course in Lockleys.

A councillor is also planning a fresh bid for a public report into the council’s credit card spending, after a similar push was rejected in December.

It comes after Freedom of Information documents revealed spending by council staff, which included thousands of dollars in Apple products — including an Apple Watch — for Mr Dowd, overnight accommodation in city hotels after functions and an Adelaide Oval rooftop climb.

The Onkaparinga Council building at Noarlunga Centre. Picture: Dylan Coker

Cr Martin Bray said details of the council’s credit card usage should be readily available to ratepayers.

“If staff do not think (a cost) would be well received from the public at large, they should not support it,” Cr Bray said.

“Morescrutiny is needed and it is critical spending is in line with community expectations.

“The CEO performance committee also needs to hold the CEO more accountable and elected leadership need to hold the council more accountable at budget time.”

Cr Marion Themeliotis said the public had a right to know how the council was spending its rates.

“We should be completely transparent with everything we do, which leaves us under scrutiny, but as a council that is what we need to be,” Cr Themeliotis said.

Cr Jon Deakin said the council was not doing enough to oversee its administration.

“That is partly due to problems within the current council,” Cr Deakin said.

Mark Dowd playing golf. Picture: Facebook

Mr Dowd stood behind the council’s values and said staff worked hard to “always deliver value for our ratepayers”.

“We have listened to the community’s feedback about the expenditure during 2014-2016 and management has taken this into account in developing actions to address this matter,” Mr Dowd said in a statement.

“As part of the ongoing review of our corporate purchase card policies and procedures, we are always looking for ways to improve on responsible usage and accountability.

“Our entire team works hard to have a culture focused on continuous improvement and all of these actions are aimed at improving our practices and ensuring that we always deliver value for our ratepayers.”

Mr Dowd agreed in February last year to reimburse the council $6818 for his joining fee to Kooyonga Golf Club, after criticism over the payment.

At the time the council said the membership was part of a strategy to attract Chinese investment.

It was agreed the details of the repayment plan be kept confidential because it related to the Mr Dowd’s personal affairs.

Cr Don Chapman said the public had a right to know how much had been repaid.

“This is ridiculous … if you are giving it back, why don’t you want to tell the public about it?” Cr Chapman said.

“The damage has been done and the confidence in the council, from the community, has been eroded.”

Cr Bray agreed: “I’d be interested to know (details of the golf repayment), but that has been classified as confidential.”

A council spokesman said the repayment plan remained secret because it represented the “personal financial affairs” of Mr Dowd and was a “voluntary act”.