MAYOR Karen Williams has lost the majority backing of her councillor colleagues as she returns to work this week after pleading guilty to drink-driving.
Six of the 10 councillors - including Paul Golle, Tracey Huges and Lance Hewlett - have told the Redland City Bulletin they believe the Mayor must now resign from the city's top job.
The Bulletin asked all councillors again this week to make their stance known on the Mayor's future after she appeared in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday.
Only Deputy Mayor Julie Talty and third-term councillor Mark Edwards failed to respond to requests for comment sent out in text messages and a mass email on Tuesday.
Councillors Adelia Berridge, Wendy Boglary and Paul Bishop, have all stated previously that they believe the Mayor should resign.
The Bulletin also received responses from Rowanne McKenzie and Peter Mitchell, but both declined to say whether they believed Cr Williams should stand down.
"The Mayor has chosen the path of redeeming herself to the community," Cr McKenzie said.
"I will continue to work with her in a respectful and professional manner in order to deliver on council's commitments in our budget, corporate plan and operational plan."
Cr Hewlett said it was in the best interest of many, including the community, that Cr Williams resigned "as soon as possible" so a new Mayor could be elected.
He cited the community outcry and circumstances leading up to the crash as reasons for coming to his decision.
All councillors were asked to state whether they believed the Mayor should step down in the wake of her guilty plea and announcement that she would return to the office this week.
Cr Williams faced court on Monday, where she was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to complete 80 hours of community service.
The court heard the Mayor crossed four lanes of traffic, mounted a curb, drove across a footpath and crashed into trees while more than three times the legal alcohol limit.
She will also be required to have an interlock device fitted to her car for five years when her licence is reinstated in February 2023.
Cr Williams was heckled outside the court but remained calm as she addressed the media for the first time in more than a month.
She vowed to win back the community's trust and again apologised for her actions, calling the drink-driving crash a single lapse of judgment in 18 years of public service.
"I love our Redlands community and that's why I have been dedicated to serving this community since I was elected in 2004," she said.
Where they stand - what councillors have said about the Mayor's future:
- Cr Golle: "On a human level I emphasise with Mayor Williams. However, my personal belief is - as a matter of integrity - the Mayor should resign out of respect for the community, council staff and councillors."
- Cr Mitchell: Declined to comment
- Cr Huges: "Yes, she has my full emotional support [but] in my personal opinion the Mayor should have resigned."
- Cr McKenzie: "The Mayor has chosen the path of redeeming herself to the community. I will continue to work with her in a respectful and professional manner in order to deliver on council's commitments in our budget, corporate plan and operational plan."
- Cr Edwards: Did not respond
- Cr Hewlett: "Given the enormous and unprecedented community outcry and the circumstances leading up to the incident, in my opinion, I believe, in the best interest of the Redlands community, her fellow councillors, council employees and for her own personal well-being, that the Mayor tender her resignation as soon as possible so that a new Mayor can be elected."
- Cr Bishop: "I wrote to Karen Williams regarding today's police report [July 2] relating to alleged events last Thursday evening, 23 June. I respectfully called for her to resign from the position of Mayor, to prevent further possible erosion of public trust in this council."
- Cr Boglary: "The Magistrate handed down the judgement and sentence today [August 1] on the Mayor's recent drink driving offence. No doubt there will be many who believe the sentence to be inadequate. However, councillors have been advised the Mayor will be returning to the office later this week which I do not believe is in the best interest of the community or respects the office of the Mayor. I believe the Mayor should resign."
- Cr Berridge: "At the moment I feel we are a bit dysfunctional. I think we need to go to a by-election and I think we need a new leader."
- Cr Talty: Did not respond
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