Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg calls emergency meeting to consider future as LGA president

BESIEGED Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg has called an emergency meeting to consider her future as the head of the state’s peak local government body.

West Torrens Mayor John Trainer. Picture: Campbell Brodie

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BESIEGED Onkaparinga Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg has called an emergency meeting to consider her future as the head of the state’s peak local government body.

The Local Government Association president has summoned the meeting, scheduled for Thursday, to “seek advice” about the “current issues” facing her leadership of the council advocacy group.

It comes as her own councillors passed a no-confidence vote in her leadership abilities on Tuesday night amid claims of “favouritism” and “bullying”.

The president, immediate past president and four vice presidents appointed by the LGA board are on the committee.

“Serving the local government sector as the LGA president is an absolute privilege, and the continued delivery of quality services and representation to members are at the front of my mind,” Ms Rosenberg said in a statement issued through the LGA.

“The board of the LGA — including the position of president — are elected to act in the best interests of the local government sector, and provide oversight of the LGA’s corporate governance.”

“I believe it’s important we meet as an executive to decide what is in the best interests of the association at this time, and separate the issues or disputes of individual councils in what is a politically charged election environment.”

Campbelltown Council deputy mayor and mayoral aspirant Marijka Ryan said if she were in Ms Rosenberg’s position she would have resigned from the LGA.

“This kind of negative attention focused on councils in general is very regrettable,” she said. “Generally speaking councils are very open and transparent and this kind of publicity reflects poorly on all of us, particularly as the mayor is also the president of the LGA and this is an election year.

Lorraine Rosenberg at her Willunga Hill farm. Picture: Matt Turner

“Unfortunately for Mayor Rosenberg, there is much more at stake than her own involvement in any possible wrong doing and that is (the) standing of local government and the public’s perception of our sector.”

Norwood Payneham and St Peters Mayor Robert Bria said Ms Rosenberg should resign to allow the sector to “wipe the slate clean” and allow it to heal from a “bruising” year.

“Unfortunately, Lorraine has not demonstrated — at least publicly — the level of self reflection the local government sector and the broader community expected after the golf club membership and credit card issues came to light,” he said.

“By digging in as president, the trust and credibility deficit between local government and ratepayers continued to grow to the point where councils are now calling for her to resign or consider her position.

“Her recent comment in the Sunday Mail about chairing council meetings with an ‘iron fist’ was terrible.

“I understand how challenging chairing council meetings can be, but as mayor you have to chair in a manner that generates mutual respect and confidence rather than fear and loathing.

“We must start on the long road to repair the damage to the image of the sector.”

Ceduna Mayor Allan Suter said it would be “pointless or even foolish” to ask Ms Rosenberg to resign given she only had four months left as president.

West Torrens Council was the first council to call for Ms Rosenberg to reconsider her role as president in the wake of a successful no-confidence vote by her follow Onkaparinga councillors on Tuesday night

West Torrens voted to send a message to Ms Rosenberg about her position as president.

The no confidence vote followed months of controversy over spending at Onkaparinga, including overnight stays in Adelaide hotels, an Adelaide Oval roof climb and an Apple watch for chief executive Mark Dowd.

In February 2017, The Advertiser revealed the council used ratepayers’ money to pay for Mr Dowd’s $6800 joining fee to Kooyonga Golf Club in Lockleys.

State Ombudsman Wayne Lines has also said he is investigating the council.

The LGA is also investigating a proposal to spend as much as $240,000 a year on board member fees, up from a total of $76,000.

West Torrens Mayor John Trainer, who drafted the motion, said Ms Rosenberg and the Onkaparinga Council controversies were giving other councils a bad name.

He admitted that although the council was not calling on her to resign, but “consider her position”, “it’s close, but it’s not the same thing”.

“She’ll probably think I’ve thrown her under the bus, but to a certain extent, (with) her judgment and at best, ineffectual dealing with issues concerning Onkaparinga in the media, she’s thrown local government under the bus,” he said.

Mr Trainer said Ms Rosenberg was “a personal friend” and calling her to account for the negative press her council had caused, was very difficult for him.

“(But) a bad headline for one council becomes a bad impression on all of us,” he said.

Cr John Woodward told the meeting the council should put its motion to call on Ms Rosenberg to consider her position as head of the LGA, on hold, so she had time to consider the outcome of her own colleagues’ vote of no confidence.

“She’d be thinking very deeply about what that means for her,” he said.

Cr Woodward said the council’s move was “effectively asking her to resign”.

“The words aren’t saying that, but that’s the intent,” he said.

Cr Kym McKay said Ms Rosenberg had let other councils down.

“We’re not deciding on Mayor Rosenberg’s role as a mayor, we’re dealing with her role as a leader of the LGA.”

Tea Tree Gully Mayor Kevin Knight and his deputy Lucas Jones have called on Ms Rosenberg to quit.

Cr Jones will ask fellow elected members to support an official motion at the council’s next meeting on June 12, essentially withdrawing support for Ms Rosenberg and calling on her to resign immediately.

He said he was “shocked” to hear of Onkaparinga’s questionable spending in the past and that it no longer passed the “pub test”.

Mitcham Mayor Glenn Spear has resigned from the board of the Local Government Association last week because he says his position is “untenable”.

Mr Spear wrote to LGA president Lorraine Rosenberg and acting chief executive Lisa Teburea to tender his resignation in light of news board members could have their allowances significantly increased.

“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.

He 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.