Gore Mayor Ben Bell denies councilors’ claims, says it’s ‘heartbreaking’

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Kavinda Herath/Stuff

Gore Mayor Ben Bell was asked to resign by seven of Gore’s 10 councilors on Thursday.

Gore Mayor Ben Bell has denied allegations made by other councilors who say his actions are affecting their mental health.

Bell told TVNZ’s current affairs program on Sunday that it was heartbreaking to hear advisers feel that way.

Seven of Gore’s 10 advisers called on Bell to step down earlier this week, just hours before the nation’s youngest mayor turned 24.

Gore District Council had to go into damage control mode after confidential information leaked during a committee meeting and a working relationship between Bell and the council’s chief executive, Stephen Parry, broke down.

READ MORE: * New Zealand’s youngest mayor celebrates birthday amid calls for resignation * Councilors call on Ben Bell to step down as mayor of Gore * Bell votes to support Parry in the day-to-day running of the council of gore

In a statement, Deputy Mayor Keith Hovell said the mayor’s actions in recent weeks led to the difficult decision to seek his resignation.

The reasons for the request were that the majority of councilors had lost faith in the mayor and had lost faith in him acting in the best interests of the community and the council as a whole.

He said Bell refused the request.

Speaking on Sunday, Bell said comments from advisers, just after a week of being sworn in, saying he lacked communication and did not follow staff advice and ultimately affected their mental health, were heartbreaking enough.

It was a pretty hard email to hear…well, I had no idea where it came from, he said.

He has strongly denied accusations by his colleagues that he has presidential powers.

I don’t know how to fix something I strongly disagree with, Bell said.

Robyn Edie / Stuff

Bell called his advisers’ allegations heartbreaking.

Former mayor Tracy Hicks, who worked closely with Parry, said the chief executive was professional, knowledgeable and respected by his peers.

Hicks wouldn’t call Bells’ town hall a revenge campaign, but believed there was a connection between Bells’ mother, Rebecca Tayler, and his exit from the council which ended in a costly legal dispute.

Meanwhile, newly elected councilor Robert McKenzie, who was an aberrant outspoken, was the only councilor passionately supporting the mayor.

I saw him yell at him, I saw him abused, in that building, and I was totally disgusted by it. I believe he hasn’t been shown the respect he deserves as mayor, McKenzie said Sunday.

The council’s former chief financial officer, Doug Walker, who was one of four former employees to file a complaint with the Department of Labor, said he was stunned by what he saw, but not surprised.

Speaking from the UK, Walker, who said he was traumatized by his treatment by Parry, described him as one of the most intimidating people I have met.

Watching the drama unfold on the council brought back horrible memories, he said.

Bens was barely mayor for five minutes, it really breaks my heart.

After Bell refused the request to resign as mayor on Thursday, the council called a special meeting on Tuesday.

The requisition asks council to consider three resolutions to ask the government to intervene, pass a vote of no confidence in the mayor or remove the mayor from all committees, subcommittees and joint committees.

Bell hoped that speaking to the media would help people understand the story and let the advice continue.

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