A clash erupted in the City of Nedlands council after a controversial councillor tried to get the city to reimburse membership fees for a group that the deputy mayor claimed was focused on “attacking staff”.
Cr Andrew Mangano — who has snatched headlines for his hardline anti-development stances including towards a children’s hospice — failed in his bid to have ratepayers reimburse councillors $60 for annual membership fees to the Local Government Elected Members Association.
The association started in 2019 - essentially in opposition to the WA Local Government Association which is supported by most local authorities - and its president is Town of Cambridge mayor Keri Shannon.
Its website states it is “dedicated to supporting elected members achieve the best possible community outcomes”.
The group has recently claimed local government CEOs “are placed in serious conflict of interest situations” by the Local Government Act and complained that WALGA — the leading body representing mayors and councillors — is not audited by the WA Auditor.
Nedlands staff said the city was already a member of WALGA and paid an annual subscription of $20,403.48 plus $25,542 for annual subscriptions for procurement, council connect, employee relations, local laws and governance that provided “access to workshops and training, a large range of professional development for both elected members and city officers”.
Cr Mangano claimed the LGEMA provided services that WALGA did not.
“I don’t know what services WALGA does provide. We need an organisation that does advise us on governance issues,” he said.
“For $60 per year, it’s not much to ask.”
Deputy mayor Leo McManus blasted the proposal and lashed out at the LGEMA.
“If people want to join organisations they can spend their own money, not ratepayers’ money,” Cr McManus said.
“This is a mob of disaffected former parliamentarians and local government people mostly aimed against staff involved in local government.”
LGEMA deputy chair and former Cottesloe councillor Sandra Boulter said Cr McManus “has not had any interaction with LGEMA to my knowledge, so we are curious to know how he reached his erroneous generalised opinion”.
Cr Rebecca Coghlan said the LGEMA had approached her when she was elected in 2019 and “strongly recommended other councillors go”.
Cr Noel Youngman defended the group, saying “it isn’t just disaffected people, it’s councillors, mayors and lawyers who make it quite interesting”.
Cr Fergus Bennett said the organisation was a “resource for councillors” and “the best money spent in terms of a resource for councillors there is”.
“We are able to spend money much more than this by going to conferences and things like that. To have this resource for only $60, why wouldn’t we?” he said
Cr Rajah Senathirajah said he had “nothing against this organisation” but didn’t see why ratepayers should pay for it.
“I belong to organisations and I pay my own fees,” he said.
Cr Oliver Basson also opposed the reimbursement and said if the membership would make him a better councillor, he would pay for it himself.
The motion was rejected 6-7.
Councillor calls for reimbursement of membership fee for alternate local government group - PerthNow
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