Action likely on call to boycott
By LYN HUMPHREYS
Taranaki Daily News, New Zealand
Last updated 28/03/2011
Councillor Sherril George is facing an official reprimand after her controversial stance against a Cambodian-owned food outlet in her home town of Waitara.
The New Plymouth District Council's monitoring committee met on Friday behind closed doors to discuss Ms George's actions when early last month she encouraged people on the streets to boycott the takeaway shop.
At the time, she accused the family of "bleeding the town dry" by not employing locals and undercutting other food outlets.
But a backlash against the firebrand councillor saw her labelled as racist and earn a vote of no confidence from the town's community board.
Mayor Harry Duynhoven said yesterday that the council's monitoring committee was recommending to full council that Ms George be censured for breaches of the council's code of conduct "in relation to her actions regarding the Town and Country Food store".
He declined to elaborate further on the issues raised at Friday's meeting, saying they would be heard in public at the upcoming full council meeting.
As part of her punishment, the committee also recommended that Ms George be stripped of four council appointments.
They include the police liaison working party, the funding subcommittee, the hearings commission and the Taranaki Regional Council's solid waste management committee.
Friday's decision was made after the committee heard from Ms George and considered a report on the incident prepared for the committee by council staff, the mayor said.
A special meeting of the full council was being arranged to decide on the recommendation and was likely to be held next Monday, Mr Duynhoven said.
Ms George said yesterday she was prepared to face the medicine after a bruising time in front of the monitoring committee.
Comments made to her by councillors were "incredibly personal", she said.
"To be honest, I just want to get it over and done with. It wasn't a pleasant experience but I'm getting over that now.
"I'll just take it as it comes and carry on with what I have always done and get on with representing the whole of the community.
"People have to start getting over this."
Even if she was removed from the four committees, it would not stop her attending the meetings she was interested in in her role as councillor, she said.
"It will have no impact on me in any way or my workload. It's carry on as normal."
There were difficulties finding a date for the special meeting because so many of the councillors were going on overseas trips – and not on council business, she said.
"It's to accommodate the people going overseas as to how big a hiding they give me. It's just a load of rubbish. Let themselves feel good about it and then we'll just get on with business as usual."
By LYN HUMPHREYS
Taranaki Daily News, New Zealand
Last updated 28/03/2011
Councillor Sherril George is facing an official reprimand after her controversial stance against a Cambodian-owned food outlet in her home town of Waitara.
The New Plymouth District Council's monitoring committee met on Friday behind closed doors to discuss Ms George's actions when early last month she encouraged people on the streets to boycott the takeaway shop.
At the time, she accused the family of "bleeding the town dry" by not employing locals and undercutting other food outlets.
But a backlash against the firebrand councillor saw her labelled as racist and earn a vote of no confidence from the town's community board.
Mayor Harry Duynhoven said yesterday that the council's monitoring committee was recommending to full council that Ms George be censured for breaches of the council's code of conduct "in relation to her actions regarding the Town and Country Food store".
He declined to elaborate further on the issues raised at Friday's meeting, saying they would be heard in public at the upcoming full council meeting.
As part of her punishment, the committee also recommended that Ms George be stripped of four council appointments.
They include the police liaison working party, the funding subcommittee, the hearings commission and the Taranaki Regional Council's solid waste management committee.
Friday's decision was made after the committee heard from Ms George and considered a report on the incident prepared for the committee by council staff, the mayor said.
A special meeting of the full council was being arranged to decide on the recommendation and was likely to be held next Monday, Mr Duynhoven said.
Ms George said yesterday she was prepared to face the medicine after a bruising time in front of the monitoring committee.
Comments made to her by councillors were "incredibly personal", she said.
"To be honest, I just want to get it over and done with. It wasn't a pleasant experience but I'm getting over that now.
"I'll just take it as it comes and carry on with what I have always done and get on with representing the whole of the community.
"People have to start getting over this."
Even if she was removed from the four committees, it would not stop her attending the meetings she was interested in in her role as councillor, she said.
"It will have no impact on me in any way or my workload. It's carry on as normal."
There were difficulties finding a date for the special meeting because so many of the councillors were going on overseas trips – and not on council business, she said.
"It's to accommodate the people going overseas as to how big a hiding they give me. It's just a load of rubbish. Let themselves feel good about it and then we'll just get on with business as usual."
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