KENT Johns’s turbulent year as mayor of Sutherland Shire ended last night amid allegations of special favours being given to developers and friends with Liberal Party connections.
Cr Johns did not seek re-election at a special council meeting to choose the mayor and deputy mayor for the next 12 months.
He announced he had referred the matters, which were raised on the weekend in Fairfax Media, to the Independent Commission Against Corruption and the Department of Planning.
Cr Steve Simpson was elected the new mayor and Cr Tom Croucher the deputy mayor at the meeting, which was scheduled before the weekend media reports.
In a mayoral minute, Cr Johns said he was confident that when full investigations were undertaken, his actions and those of any other councillors would be found to be lawful.
‘‘I should not be a lightning rod for this council and therefore I won’t be standing as mayor,’’ he said.
The council voted to ask the Minister for Local Government for a full public inquiry.
Earlier in the day, Cr Johns told the Leader, ‘‘The matters have to be cleared up, and and I don’t want to be a distraction from what the council needs to do.’’
Cr Johns denied any wrong-doing, and rejected suggestions he aimed to provide ‘‘windfalls’’ to particular developers through rezoning proposals.
He said he had never received personal gain from his roles on the council.
Cr Johns said he had made ‘‘a lot of enemies’’ by ‘‘trying to change the culture of the council too quickly’’.
‘‘I probably upset a few people and that’s what is motivating all this.’’
Fund-raising concerns denied
FORMER state MP for Miranda, Graham Annesley, denied concerns by some Liberal Party branch members over finances for his 2011 election campaign had any bearing on his decision to quit.
Fairfax Media reported that, more than two years after the election, conference workers were unwilling to sign off on donation disclosure forms because of concerns about possible developer contributions which are banned.
‘‘As the candidate I had no role in the financial reconciliation of the fund-raising efforts for the campaign,’’ Mr Annesley said. ‘‘That was appropriately a function of the local executive and the party centrally.
‘‘The state director has stated publicly already that all accounts from the 2011 election have been fully audited.’’
Menai MP Melanie Gibbons, a close friend of Cr Johns, denied receiving special treatment when she queried a neighbour’s development application for the extension of his Woronora home. Ms Gibbons said, based on the reply to ‘‘some simple questions’’ the mayor asked of council staff, she had decided not to object to the development application.
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