However, Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker says there was a misunderstanding.
Cr Vandervis said Ms Barker led him to believe he would continue to chair the Dunedin City Council’s finance committee.
In the end, he turned down two deputy positions, resulting in a pay cut.
Ms Barker said there had obviously been a misunderstanding.
She said she had discussed having a finance and performance committee based on the Christchurch model and having Cr Vandervis involved as deputy chairman.
He had expressed an interest in still being involved with the council’s companies, she said.
"I never promised anyone anything," the mayor said.
Ms Barker said deputy mayor Cherry Lucas was the obvious choice for chairing the finance and performance committee.
"She is a chartered accountant and her corporate experience strengthens her insights and abilities in this role," Ms Barker said.
Cr Vandervis said he saw the situation as Ms Barker "misleading and blindsiding me" with friendly discussions about changes to the finance and council-controlled organisations committee he had chaired for the past three years.
She emailed him the terms of reference from the Christchurch City Council’s finance and performance committee.
"We never discussed my being demoted to deputy chair of finance or any suggestion of such demotion," Cr Vandervis said.
"It is not credible to think I would have forgotten discussion of such a demotion."
Asked about Cr Vandervis being led to believe he was set to carry on as finance committee chairman, Ms Barker said "I think that’s a miscommunication".
"I am the only member of council with global finance and banking professional career expertise as a former vice-president-level international banker at leading global banks ... including in structuring corporate debt," Cr Ong said.
Cr Vandervis said he was amazed when Ms Barker and Cr Andrew Simms struck a deal on the eve of Tuesday’s council meeting, which meant the pair would jointly lead the economic development portfolio.
Cr Simms had been unhappy about being assigned deputy lead of the portfolio.
Cr Vandervis said Cr Jules Radich "took pity" on him and offered to share leadership of the infrastructure portfolio, instead of having Cr Vandervis as his deputy.
Cr Vandervis saw this as unworkable.
"I just saw it as a good way to have a win-win situation, much the same as Mayor Barker and Cr Simms," Cr Radich said.
Ms Barker said on Wednesday the door was still open for "the important deputy roles, should Cr Vandervis reconsider".
He said in response: "Mayor Barker’s offer to me to still being persuaded to accept a demotion to an empty ‘deputy role’, presumably with the unearned increase in salary of some $16,000 per year, is insulting, although, like anyone, I could certainly use the extra money and parity with other councillors."
