Angry residents marched on Rockdale Town Hall on Saturday — fed up that several of their representatives again failed to attend a council meeting.
The meeting set for last Wednesday was abandoned after the six Liberal councillors, Cr Michael Nagi (independent) and Cr Bill Saravinovski (Labor) failed to turn up.
There was no quorum which meant no decisions could be made.
The Liberals and Cr Nagi have missed, or only partially attended, six council meetings in the past several months.
Cr Nagi said serious health problems had stopped him attending.
Cr Saravinovski said he was stuck in Sydney city on family matters.
Cr Petros Kalligas (Liberal) said Rockdale liberals wanted to protect community assets from liquidation.
"We have sought a comprehensive capital works program on a sustainable basis that includes a shopping centre and synthetic sporting field playground equipment upgrades," Cr Kalligas said.
"At the council meeting on October 15, nine of the 15 councillors including the two independent councillors and a Labor councillor voted to take the Chapel Street sale off the agenda.
"This tri-partisan motion reveals that the majority of councillors have lost confidence in this current mayor.
"Mayor O'Brien should now resign and head back to the northern beaches. "
Rockdale Residents Unite conveyor Bernie Sharah said about 70 people attended the protest at the town hall on the weekend.
"I think we did exceptionally well considering we only had two days' notice," he said.
"Everyone wanted to be there to register their protest."
Mr Sharah wants all councillors to come together and discuss their concerns.
"Attending council meetings is a minimum requirement of their jobs, so if they are not attending, they need to explain why," he said.
Mayor Shane O'Brien said the capital works program, adopted in 2011, had not been changed.
"Council has submitted the program, costings and financial strategy to the Division of Local Government as required by legislation for review. They did not have any concerns," he said.
"All items have now progressed with the exception of the Rockdale Aquatic and Fitness Centre.
"All our capital works could be funded and delivered without one cent of debt should the car park sale go ahead. I am at a loss to understand how this is 'unsustainable'.
"If Cr Kalligas is so sure of himself then he and his colleagues should allow the matter of the sale of Chapel Street to go to a vote.
"If I lose the vote I will consider resigning, but I won't take notice of someone who refuses to put his case in the chamber and prefers to be a hero behind a keyboard."
What do you think of the failure of councillors to attend council meetings?
