Meander Valley councillor resigns
Councillor resigns, citing loss of confidence in GM
Sharon Webb
A third disgruntled Meander Valley councillor has resigned from the council and will be replaced on a countback.
Cllr Frank Nott resigned with immediate effect at 4pm on Friday 27 August.
Cllr Nott’s resignation leaves the urban part of the municipality without a representative living there.
Cllr Nott did not resign personally to the mayor, handing in his notice at the council’s front counter. It said only that he resigned with immediate effect.
By the end of the day his photo on the councillors’ website page was replaced with a blunt ‘Position Vacant’.
Just as swiftly general manager John Jordan sent out an email to councillors and staff saying, ‘Frank Nott has today tendered his resignation as MV Councillor effectively (sic) immediately.
‘Mr Nott has sold his residence and is understood to be moving outside the local government area and is no longer eligible to be a councillor.’
It did not thank Cllr Nott for his work in the municipality. Cllr Nott described the message as ‘ curt and disrespectful.’
‘Some councillors know I’ve been disenchanted for some time,’ he said.
‘I told the mayor I’ve lost confidence in the general manager. It’s precipitated my selling up and going out of the municipality.’
Cllr Nott said he was happy to be out of the council.
‘I’ve copped a lot.; I’ve been stymied, gagged from speaking. I felt I could not represent ratepayers as well as I wanted to. I’m sad not to have represented ratepayers for the full term.
‘I’ve challenged the general manager and it’s clear from what he’s said that I am considered to be an irritant.’
The mayor Cllr Wayne Johnston said, ‘Frank has sold his property in Prospect and is moving out of the municipality. That’s the reason for him leaving as far as I know. I thank him for his service.’
Cllr Nott said he had not told Mr Jordan or Cllr Johnston that he had sold his house, and that was not the reason for him leaving the council.
‘The CEO of the Local Government Association said I would be a councillor for another month after selling my house. I could remain a councillor if I owned land or property in the municipality or if I was a voting member of an entity such as the Australian Italian Club.
‘If I had really wanted to stay on the council I could have made arrangements.’
Former councillor Andrew Connor left Meander Council in 2019, five months after being reelected.
Ostensibly it was because he moved interstate but Cllr Connor said was frustrated by his thwarted efforts over seven years to drag Meander Valley Council into the digital age. ‘We got microphones so everyone could be heard but councillors could not be convinced to stream meetings,’ he said. ‘Banging your head against a wall just isn’t worth it.
More recently Cllr Susie Bower resigned, saying she wanted to focus on her federal Liberal Party candidature. She declined to comment on Cllr Nott’s resignation.
Cllr John Temple said Cllr Nott was ‘someone with a wealth of local government experience from nine years on Launceston City Council.
‘His work in the Meander Valley has been of great benefit to the community.’
Cllr Stephanie Cameron said, ‘Council for me will be a lonely place now Frank has gone. He was my mentor.’
On her Facebook site she said she understood his reasons for leaving but to say she was disappointed would be an understatement.
‘Frank has never been shy to ask the tough questions, to stand up for what he believes in, no matter the personal consequence.
‘He represented his community fiercely.’
