Two Dunedin councillors overlooked for prominent chairmanship roles say the community will make its own judgements about whether the mayor-elect’s appointments were appropriate.
David Benson-Pope and Steve Walker were absent from the line-up released on Wednesday by mayor-elect Jules Radich of councillors who will chair council committees, or deputise.
Cr Walker said they were offered deputy roles "he knew we’d decline".
Cr Walker said he had expressed enthusiasm for various roles, including planning and environment committee chairman, but they were not offered to him.
"At the end of the day it's the voting public, not me, who will ultimately make a judgement call on whether the mayor's appointments to various committee positions are the correct ones or not," he said.
In the end, Mr Radich decided against having a planning and environment committee, which had been chaired by Cr Benson-Pope.
The 12 other councillors were appointed to roles with seven committees, either chairing them or deputising.
Cr Benson-Pope said he expected the livestream of meetings, as well as time, to "reveal the appropriateness or otherwise of these decisions".
Cr Walker criticised Mr Radich’s communication.
There had not been communication after a one-to-one meeting between them, he said, "other than to offer me a role he knew I’d turn down".
"I asked once again to be the council representative on the West Harbour Community Board and didn't even get the courtesy of an answer."
Mr Radich said he was surprised by Cr Walker’s comment, "because staff informed him of my councillor appointment to the West Harbour Community Board before it was publicly announced".
Mr Radich said he had some sympathy for the two councillors.
He expected they were feeling some sense of loss.
However, his priorities were different from those of the defeated mayor, Aaron Hawkins.
Mr Radich said he had done his best to be inclusive.
"All my appointments, as much as possible, reflect councillors’ areas of expertise and interests."
By turning down deputy chairman roles, the two councillors could miss out on $16,000 each of income, Cr Walker said.
He accepted the decisions of the mayor-elect, but "I don't have to agree with an outcome to accept it".
