“Hot-headed” response earns Steve Kons a formal caution

A Tasmanian mayor has learned his fate for casting aspersions on a fellow councillor’s character on social media several years ago.

BURNIE Mayor Steve Kons says he has learned his lesson after being formally cautioned over comments he made about a fellow councillor almost five years ago.

Mr Kons said he now had a good relationship with fellow councillor Alvwyn Boyd - who he ousted as mayor in 2011 - has apologised to him and limited his activity on social media to ensure he does not offend again.

One of three code of conduct complaints made by the Local Government Code of Conduct Panel against Mr Kons has been upheld after appeal in the Magistrate’s Court of Tasmania.

It relates to comments Mr Kons made on a local newspaper’s Facebook page.

His post said of Mr Boyd “This bloke makes Judas look like an Angel”, “I

cannot fathom the depths he will go to to see this City fall over” and “The building will use

Tasmanian wood as an integral material which will match his thoughts and character which are rotten to the core”.

Alderman Teeny Brumby told the panel Mr Kons’ Facebook post was “appalling and totally unacceptable” and caused embarrassment to others.

The panel determined that Ald Kons brought the council and the role of councillor into disrepute

Burnie mayor Steve Kons. Picture: Grant Wells

He has been cautioned under the code and told to treat everyone with courtesy and fairness and not seek to bully or embarass others.

“It was a hot headed response to an issue. I have learned my lesson and limited my social media comments. It has dragged on for years but will now come before the council just before the local government elections.”

“Mr Boyd and I are now best of friends and Alvwyn is running as deputy mayor.”

“I have apologised to him and will do so formally again at the council meeting.”

The race for Burnie mayor is a three-horse race with Mr Kons standing against councillors Amina Keygan and Teeny Brumby.

Ald. Brumby said in a statement on Wednesday “It is because of behaviours like those of the mayor found proven by the panel, that we see diminishing respect for local government and a decline in female participation in local government roles.”

“This local government election, we have an opportunity to show that inappropriate

behaviours such as bullying are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our

community,” she said.

Mr Kons said code of conduct complaints could be politically motivated and used as weapons. He said councillors could also be deterred from being passionate about their municipalities.

The Code of Conduct for Local Government is currently being reviewed by the Tamsanian Government.

Mr Kons said he hoped the result of that review would be a concrete, sensible independently-assessed code being drawn up.

“The code is currently a recipe for high profile members of council to be attacked or taken through process after process.”

Originally published as “Hot-headed” response earns Steve Kons a formal caution