Hornby chairman backed

Press, 20 April 1982, Page 6

Hornby chairman backed

Hornby District< Community Councillors last night passed a vote of confidence in their chairman, Mr G.‘ L. Muir.

The vote followed a statement, before the council's meeting, by Cr A. S; Malcolm that he would, call for; the replacement of Mr Muir as chairman.

Cr Malcolm said that' he would move for a change in the chairmanship after com_ments made by Mr Muir at .a meeting of the Paparua County Council on April 5. Mr Muir had criticised Cr Malcolm for his reported ■ assertion that only one per? son in three in the county was on the local body.elec-' toral roil. • \ ' Cr A. J. Silke moved the

motion of confidence in the chairman. Mr . Muir had a “history of service to the Hornby community' that anyone would envy,” he said. He. had served on -numerous community committees and had been a member of the District Community Council for four years and the Paparua County’ Council .for 18 months.

“Any criticism of-Mr Muir stems from an ignorance of the true facts,” said Cr Silke. Cr Malcolm did not put the motion of no confidence in the chairman. He said after the meeting that he had changed his mind. “I weighed up the pros and cons,” he said. “Something like this can create a great upheaval in the council arid I decided

to let the matter ride until the next council election in 15 months time.” -• Cr Malcolm said his opinion of Mr Muir’s chairmanship had not changed. He abstained from voting on the motion of confidence. '

The disagreement between the two council .-members arose from by Cr Malcolm that) of the 10,500 people living 'in the. Hornby Licensing, trust. Board area, only 4761 appeared 'on the electoral roll.-. He fpujid- this while working from the roll, to compile a petition against the Licensing Trust Board,- . Cr Malcolm read at last night’s meeting two, letters from residents stating that thev had not received-voting

papers for elections. One resident said that she. had’ been living in Hornby for six years. During that time there had been two council elections for which she had not received voting papers. Another resident'said that he had been on the electoral roll for 15 years but had never received a voting paper for the Licensing Trust; Cr I. Ganda said that the letters should be referred to county officials for investiga-' .tion. It was decided that Cr Malcolm, Mr Muir, and the County Clerk, Mr B. L Mooar, would discuss the letters and the rolls and report back to the council.