Community
11 September, 2023
Douglas shire row deepens
A RIFT between Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr and three councillors has widened after the trio successfully moved a vote of no confidence in the council chairman.
Deputy mayor Cr Lisa Scomazzon and Crs Abigail Noli and Roy Zammataro voted for and Cr Kerr and Cr Peter McKeown voted against the motion. It was passed but chief executive officer Rachel Brophy told Cr Kerr at the meeting it had no legal standing.
Cr Scomazzon moved the motion after raising urgent business before last week’s ordinary meeting was about to end.
She told the meeting and members of the gallery that they could “see that councillors were not very happy”.
Cr Scomazzon moved the vote of no confidence in Cr Kerr to adequately chair meetings, citing his continual blocking of motions by councillors as well as using ratepayer funds to personally seek legal advice to prevent motions being tabled, particularly over the Daintree ferry and the council’s media policy.
But Cr Kerr said he had not blocked motions, however they had not been properly submitted because councillors could not follow the legislation and rules of the state which was “not my problem”.
He said motions that were properly framed and legal had been accepted.
“I was voted by the majority of the community to run as mayor, to represent them and what they want and I will continue … throwing up these political games before the election is disgusting,” Cr Kerr said
Earlier in the meeting, councillors Scomazzon and Noli and Zammataro successfully moved a new media policy to give councillors the chance to speak to the media and the public.
Cr Noli said previously councillors had not been allowed to speak to journalists and the community.
She said they were not included in many media releases to highlight their achievements with the mayor being the only quoted council representative.
Cr Noli said they had been “denied the freedom of speech”.
Cr Kerr said he was the delegated council spokesman and was the person most of the media wanted to speak to.
Cr Scomazzon said councillors were not being given “fair air time” and the current policy was “nothing but a gagging order”.
But Cr Kerr said councillors were free to speak to the media at anytime, but not as an official council representative.
