REDLANDS Mayor Karen Williams will take unpaid leave until her drink-driving charge is dealt with in court, revealing she has received death threats and abuse since crashing into a tree at Cleveland on budget day.
Police charged Cr Williams with drink-driving on the weekend after she allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.177, which is more than three times the legal limit.
The Mayor's crash came hours after an event was held in the Redland City Council chambers at Cleveland to celebrate the 2022-23 budget being handed down.
Cr Williams said she would take unpaid leave to respond to the police charge and receive counselling, as she had promised to do in the immediate aftermath of the crash last week.
"I made a serious personal error of judgement, for which I am deeply sorry," she said.
"While not excusing my actions in any way, the death threats and serious abuse I have received this past week have also taken a heavy toll on my family and staff.
"Others have also reached out to offer words of comfort during this time and I sincerely thank them for their kindness."
The Redland City Bulletin can reveal a motion of no confidence will be brought against the Mayor at the council's next general meeting on July 20.
Councillor Adelia Berridge has called on her colleagues to support the motion, saying it is time to "draw a line in the sand" for the community.
It comes as a Redlands-led petition calling for Karen Williams to be ousted from the city's top job gains thousands of signatures in a week.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey is the latest state minister to call for the Mayor to resign, saying she had shown "reckless disregard" for drivers on local roads.
"This high-range charge is no marginal matter," he said.
Cr Williams will front Cleveland Magistrates Court on August 1 after being issued a notice to appear on Saturday.
"I will seek to take a period of unpaid leave from council until my matter is dealt with by the courts," Cr Williams said.
"I will undertake this personal leave to respond to the police charge and to receive counselling, as I committed to do last week."
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