The mayor of Invercargill yells falsely, saying his deputy has thwarted his travel plans and as a result he has to take a taxi from Wellington to Palmerston North.
Sir Tim Shadbolt said in a statement he had no choice but to take a taxi from Wellington to Palmerston North for the annual Local Government New Zealand conference on Wednesday.
Deputy Mayor Nobby Clark initially approved spending on a rental car to travel between the two cities, but changed his mind in an email sent Saturday, Mr Shadbolt said.
He labeled the move “small and narrow” and accused Mr Clark, who is running for mayor, of a conflict of interest.
Mr Clark said it was an odd position to be in as a deputy as he had to take on some of the mayor’s duties.
Two things were at stake: first, that Mr. Shadbolt wanted to add days away, and second, to use a rental car, Mr. Clark said.
He had no problem adding extra days to the travel arrangements, as long as the extra costs were not borne by the municipality.
He believed the rental car would be for Mr. Shadbolt’s partner and son to get around, Mr. Clark said.
In his statement, Mr Shadbolt denied that attending the conference with his partner would increase costs.
Mr Clark said that when the matter of a rental car came up in connection with the same conference held in Blenheim last year, the council had booked Mr Shadbolt a rental car and recovered the costs in installments.
His decision was about being consistent, Mr Clark said.
The city had raised rates by 6.53%, which Mr Clark voted against.
“It was a huge public debate about how people were struggling and I just thought, how can I take that position in good faith and then be a little loose or flexible with the costs associated with the mayor’s departure?”
Mr Shadbolt could apply to the council for reimbursement of rental car costs if the council met again in the coming weeks, Mr Clark said.
Councilor Peter Kett said he had been friends with Mr Shadbolt for a long time.
The decision to refuse the mayor a rental car was “disgusting,” Kett said.
Mr Shadbolt earned a car, and although he could not drive due to health problems, his partner could, Mr Kett said.