Whittlesea Council mayor Kris Pavlidis faces bullying accusation

AN alleged “toxic” culture of bullying has plunged a council in Melbourne’s north further into crisis with fresh accusations of intimidation and harassment.

AN alleged toxic culture of bullying has plunged Whittlesea Council further into crisis with fresh claims of intimidation and harassment.

The allegations will put further pressure on the State Government to appoint a monitor to review the behaviour of councillors.

The new claims have been levelled against Mayor Kris Pavlidis in her role as chairwoman of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria (ECCV) in a resignation letter by then head of the council Fotis Kapetopoulos.

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Mr Kapetopoulos quit after just nine weeks in the role.

In the letter Mr Kapetopoulos stated he had no interest in being “even remotely” associated with Cr Pavlidis and her “disturbing and unhinged” behaviour.

Mayor Kris Pavlidis with Fotis Kapetopoulos. Picture: ECCV/Twitter

Mr Kapetopoulos told Leader he had “never encountered” behaviour like Cr Pavlidis’s before in his professional life.

But Cr Pavlidis said she “categorically and vehemently” denied the accusations which were unsubstantiated and malicious fabrications.

The allegations come just weeks after an independent report revealed Whittlesea chief executive Simon Overland felt unsafe to meet alone with Cr Mary Lalios to discuss claims of her bullying and intimidation of council staff.

Whittlesea councillor Mary Lalios denies bullying accusations against her.

Ms Lailos also vehemently denies the allegations.

The Leader is not suggesting Cr Pavlidis or Cr Lailos engaged in bullying, only that complaints have been made against them.

When asked by the Leader if there was a bullying crisis, Cr Norm Kelly said there was “100 per cent a toxic culture” and Cr Caz Monteleone said “yes”.

Other councillors including Sam Alessi and Stevan Kozmevski said there was “no connection” between the claims against Cr Pavlidis and Cr Lalios and the culture within the council.

In June Local Government Minister Marlene Kairouz declined a request by the council to appoint a monitor to review infighting and allegations of bullying.

In her decision not to appoint a monitor, Ms Kairouz said if a risk to governance at the council arose in the future she would reconsider.

Cr Lalios did not respond to an offer by the Leader to comment.

The Government did not respond to questions by Leader’s deadline.

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