Burnside Council spends $15,000 on investigation between political rivals

Burnside Council has spent more than $15,000 to investigate a dispute that included one of the mayor’s political rivals who in turn has complained about the Mayor’s husband.

Burnside Mayor Anne Monceaux and Councillor Jane Davey.

Police have verbally cautioned the husband of Burnside Mayor Anne Monceaux after a female councillor complained about a confrontation while election votes were being counted.

The caution to David Monceaux followed a series of arguments involving Councillor Jane Davey and political rivals during vote counting in the days after the 2022 council elections.

Council refused to investigate the complaint but instead spent more than $15,000 of ratepayer funds to investigate Cr Davey.

Cr Davey and Mayor Monceaux are bitter political rivals and Cr Davey admits to telling the mayor’s supporters to “f**k off’ during two confrontations on the two days in question.

A police statement to Cr Davey obtained by The Advertiser states: “Mr Monceaux has been spoken to by police in regards to this matter and has been cautioned regarding his behaviour”.

No charges were laid against him.

Burnside Council debated the issue on Tuesday and were presented with a 120-page report into Cr Davey’s behaviour.

It included the recommendation she apologise to David Monceaux and another anonymous complainant.

Mr Monceaux strongly denied he had behaved inappropriately.

Mayor Monceaux said she would not comment because the council had agreed the complainants would be confidential.

Council Lawyers Mellor Olsson are not able to investigate the behaviour by either of the complainants because they are not councillors, but under council behaviour rules found Cr Davey was not “reasonable, just or respectful” and she should say sorry.

Supporters of council candidates are allowed to witness the vote count, but the process often leads to confrontation.

Cr Davey accepted that she told one rival to “f**k off”, but told investigators she had complained to police about the altercation.

“I believe this complaint is political and trivial and seems to have been made to discredit me by opponents who did not wish to see me re-elected to council in the 2022 election process,” Cr Davey told the council’s legal investigators.

In the counting room Cr Davey was also confronted by another unnamed long-term political rival, and is alleged to have said to both people “it is none of your business, go away”.

She told the investigators in one incident she raised her voice to be heard over a storm, but despite the political rivalry she was deemed by the lawyers to be “unreasonable”.

The day after the storm, and also at the vote count she allegedly told a rival – who will not be named – to “shut up” when again approached and criticised by them.

The lawyers found the second confrontation was also not acceptable.

The returning officer, a public servant, was also critical of Cr Davey’s behaviour.

This investigation, to date, has cost council $15,164 (excluding GST).