Toowoomba Regional Council votes that Cr Nancy Sommerfield engaged in ‘inappropriate conduct’ over email to staff member

A Toowoomba councillor will have to complete training and counselling, after her colleagues voted she had engaged in “inappropriate conduct” involving an email to a staff member.

Cr Nancy Sommerfield. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A Toowoomba councillor has been found to have engaged in “inappropriate conduct” by her peers, following a marathon meeting.

Councillors voted at the ordinary meeting on Tuesday that Cr Nancy Sommerfield had “failed to treat a staff member appropriately” during a correspondence over email between July 7-8 last year.

The discussions occurred behind closed doors and the officer’s report was kept confidential.

However, the councillors also voted that there was inefficient evidence to back other suspected inappropriate conduct of Cr Sommerfield.

“Council resolves (that) pursuant to Section 150AG of the Local Government Act 2009, that Cr Sommerfield has engaged in inappropriate conduct regarding the email correspondence addressed to staff on 7 and 8 July 2020,” the motion read.

“The reasons are the councillor failed to treat a staff member appropriately as was required by the Code of Conduct for Councillors in Queensland operative on the date the conduct arose.

“There is insufficient evidence to substantiate any other suspected inappropriate conduct of Cr Sommerfield referred to the local government.”

The motion also resolved that Cr Sommerfield will attend training or counselling to address the conduct.

Cr Sommerfield, who is the TRC’s water and waste portfolio leader, left the meeting while the matter was voted on.

Cr Megan O’Hara Sullivan was the only objector to the motion.

Cr Sommerfield was contacted by The Chronicle for comment.