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Allegations of "ultra vires'' (exceeding a person's legal powers) behaviour flew as Dunedin city councillors again voted to scrap a unitary council investigation yesterday.
Councillors at yesterday's Dunedin City Council meeting were being asked to rescind their support for the investigation for a second time, after an earlier vote was found not to comply with standing orders.
Cr Lee Vandervis - who pushed for the investigation in 2017 - had also been blocked from speaking at the meeting earlier this month, prompting him to quit that meeting.
Tempers soon flared again yesterday as Cr Vandervis tried to grill council chief executive Sue Bidrose about her decision to deprioritise the work.
Mr Cull blocked some of his questions, deeming they had already been answered, prompting Cr Vandervis to declare the Mayor's actions "ultra vires''.
Dr Bidrose answered others, explaining her decision was due in part to staff workloads.
They got busy working on the city's Provincial Growth Fund bids and waterfront plans, which took priority, but the decision had been explained to all councillors, she said.
When Cr Vandervis maintained he only endorsed a delay releasing the report - not stalling work on it - the debate became heated.
Dr Bidrose insisted that was "simply not true'', while Mr Cull ordered him to withdraw the comment, but Cr Vandervis initially refused to do so.
"Then you are calling us dishonest and you will leave the meeting,'' Mr Cull said.
Cr Vandervis relented, withdrawing the comment, but tempers flared again when he tried to speak later.
Mr Cull had already deemed councillors would get one chance to ask questions and debate, but it appeared some councillors did not realise that.
Cr Vandervis was among them, as his attempt to debate the motion - having asked questions earlier - was blocked by Mr Cull.
Cr Vandervis labelled the move "obscene'', prompting Mr Cull to suggest he should "listen more than you speak and you would understand the instructions''.
However, after taking advice during an adjournment, Mr Cull relented - apologising for the "ill-advised'' process and allowing further debate.
Cr Vandervis then finally had his chance, telling the meeting any decision to revoke an earlier council motion was "a big deal''.
The city continued to face difficulties as responsibility for important issues, like public transport, was divided between the DCC and Otago Regional Council.
Investigating a unitary council would show what the future of local government could look like in Dunedin.
"Do we want to know, or do we want to stick our heads in the sand?''
Other councillors disagreed, including Cr Kate Wilson, who believed the council's focus should be on climate change and other community priorities.
Other councillors argued the timing for an investigation was no longer right, given the DCC's improving relationship with the ORC.
Crs Damian Newell and Jim O'Malley remained concerned by the process which had the investigation stalled after discussion in non-public meetings.
Councillors voted 10-4 to scrap the investigation, Crs Vandervis, O'Malley, Rachel Elder and Andrew Whiley opposing.