Tea Tree Gully Council mayor Kevin Knight facing censure for taking robes, mayoral chain home

An embattled mayor is facing censure for taking his mayoral chain and robes home – and then lending them to the family of a former mayor for her funeral.

Tea Tree Gully mayor Kevin Knight is facing censure for taking his mayoral robe and chain home when councillors voted to remove him from ceremonial duties.

Mr Knight has been found to have breached the council’s code of conduct by refusing to return the robe and chain, instead lending them to the family of a former mayor for her funeral.

An investigation by the Local Government Association’s governance panel has recommended Mr Knight should be censured and asked to publicly apologise.

In its report, the panel said Mr Knight was told to return the robe and chains in October 2020 after elected members passed a vote of no confidence in him and demanded his resignation.

Mr Knight subsequently was removed from official duties, including presiding over citizenship ceremonies when he would wear the mayoral chain and red robes.

Tea Tree Gully mayor Kevin Knight with his mayoral chain.

Council chief executive John Moyle asked him to return the robe and chains to the council’s offices at the Modbury Civic Centre, where Mr Knight had been locked out of his mayoral office and had his electronic swipe card disabled.

“By October 26, 2020, the robes had been returned to the former mayoral office and council were aware of the location of the mayoral chains,” said the report.

“(However) sometime after this the robes were again ‘missing’.”

“By February 3, 2021, the CEO was advised by the mayor that the robes and chains were at his private residence ‘for safe keeping’.”

Tea Tree Gully mayor Kevin Knight wearing the mayoral chain at a social event with his wife, Karen.

The report said elected members voted at a meeting in May last year to ask Mr Knight to return the ceremonial chain and robes within three days so they could be “put under lock and key”.

Instead, Mr Knight contacted the daughter of a former mayor, Lesley Purdom, who had passed away and offered her the use of the robes and chain at her funeral service.

“The mayor indicated via email to the CEO that once the robes and chains were returned to him, he ‘would be happy to discuss their return and storage requirements’,” said the report.

“On May 10, 2021, the robes and chains were given to the CEO after the funeral service and returned to council.”

Tea Tree Gully mayor Kevin Knight wearing the robes and chain at the council’s annual youth awards in 2018.

Tea Tree Gully mayor Kevin Knight wearing the robes and chain in his official council photograph in 2014.

The report said Mr Knight had “conceded he ignored council’s resolution to return the robes and chains by the deadline he was given”.

“He stated that when the mayoral office and facilities were removed (for his use), council also removed the cupboard where he stored the robes and chains,” it said.

“He stated he took the robes and chains home for his use.”

Mr Knight denied he breached the council’s code of conduct by taking the robes and chain.

“If you find me guilty of a breach of this resolution, then you must also find me in breach of the resolution calling on me to resign which I have also refused to do,” he told the investigation.

The council will discuss the report next Tuesday night

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