BASSENDEAN council voiced its views on ratepayers’ no-confidence motion against Mayor John Gangell and chief executive Bob Jarvis at a council meeting on December 13.
The motion was passed 15-2 at a general meeting of electors on November 23.
A Freedom of Information request by Bassendean resident Graeme King – which exposed confidential meetings between the Town, LandCorp and Swan Districts Football Club, and a business case – sparked the challenge.
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READ NOWAt the final council meeting of 2016, Councillor Paul Bridges pulled the item out of the agenda for discussion.
After two calls for point-of-order, Cr Bridges said the council could not ignore the motion that was passed by the community.
“We have been through a very hard time… the LandCorp project caused community outrage and set us back,” he said.
Cr Renee McLennan said she was not an advocate of ignoring the motion, which garnered applause from the packed gallery.
“We cannot deny that the community have doubts in not only the (chief executive) and the mayor but council and staff,” she said.
“We should be working as a team and there seems to be a divide so we should be working together with the community instead of dragging each other down.”
Cr Gangell, who responded to the councillors’ comments, said the past few weeks had been a “soul searching” experience.
“I have tremendous faith in Bob Jarvis, who is a very good servant of the Town of Bassendean and has excelled in his role,” he said.
“(The) personal attacks are at times unfair… I am very proud to see out my term until October 2017.”
Councillors voted to receive the report on the minutes of the general meeting of electors and the proceedings of the meeting.