Frankston Times 11 October 2022

Councillor could cop 12 month ban Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au

after a bullying complaint against him was upheld.

Hughes told The Times that even if he is found not guilty by the panel, he won’t seek to have ratepayers reimburse his legal fees. “If I am successful, by some miracle, in defending against these absurd allegations then I will not seek to be reimbursed for my legal expenses by ratepayers,” he said.

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Wall to wall artworks

have been of new murals Artists A SERIES Frankston. part painted aroundlast month to take See story came to town Picture Fest. in the Big Supplied page 5. Picture:

CR Steven Hughes. Picture: Supplied

Tuesday 5 April 2022

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Wall to wall artworks A SERIES of new murals have been painted around Frankston. Artists came to town last month to take part in the Big Picture Fest. See story page 5. Picture: Supplied

oposed proposed t prrate e cu cut cent per Five nt rat Five per ce

bayside to inner Melbourne comparison means that for Frankston This amount City Counto raise a similarit to prosays “Frankstonthan average suburbs.

City Council com- services are not higher councils (for bayside metropolitan in rates as other deliver key cil rates says “Frankston City Coun- comparison to inner Melbourne local government to other key comservices and “Council must re-focuscomparison services and deliver level ofservices provide on for Frankston dollar generally lower in its energies on provide infrastructure projects.” vide a similar are not higher than average suburbs. This means that rate in the Cowburn Brodieenergies of fi- services are in fact munity infrastructure rates to projects.”it must use acil rates amount the comto and is a lot superior providing re-focus its the com- munity to other metropolitan City Council to raise a similar services) comparing a councils comparison put said “there in valuations.” of fi- the is a lot how when said “there to brodie@baysidenews.com.au Cr Hughes “Council must services eastern on it to prolevel based about Cr Hughes affordable at an to be is appliedato councils and munity on are in fact generally lower in rates as other councils (for which mongering but particularly scheduled in Melbourne’s about howwas nancial fear mongering level based services providing superior That might government of our residents. nancial fear motion means theon other councils Theservices when comparing rates to vide a similar level of local 4 April meeting, an affordable but particularly That might rate cut would impacthaveforgoing impact on u Brodie Cowburn pool or rate cut would munity at per propat council’s deadline. in Melbourne’s eastern services) it must use a rate in the dollar a new swimming is pushing Imean ring-fenced collectedhullabaloo. forward denews.com.a of our residents.

A FRANKSTON other councils pool orcouncillor and suburbs”. to I have ring-fenced the means average rate it’s allequivalent swimming brodie@baysi it will bring after publication it’s all hullabaloo.like community statues but The legitimacy fancy which is applied to the valuations.” a newfor

by Cr Hughes a rate cut. roughlydepartments suburbs”. community and to prolike shortly put forward one departments ratepaymean forgoingbut it will bring legitimacy key is currentlyis key thatassessment to an organisation The motion was scheduled to be put back safety rates byrate forward erty A proposal Frankston propcollected per propHughes has put and cutaverage Steven Crthat is pushing The community to prosafety is currently last year to as buthealth, and ofcommunity councils, fancy statues councillor meeting, community, being in thenearby health, rates for from many in by impacta 7-2 vote as general to cut in February is roughly equivalent to forward at council’s 4 April organisation a percentage a proposal assessment erty with impactfunding viewed, A FRANKSTON rejected funding their is The becausefrom being reduction back to an said.as tect deadline. the community, tect their with their reality,” of touch out the cent was in ers payshemore cent in that per proposes says thisproposes perreduction many inFrankston residents councils, but Frankston ratepay- shortly after publication nearby not supported” he said. by five He for a rate cut. Hughes has put forward that the Counciled.”

Hein Frankston viewed, by cuts totocounput togethcut promise the proposal their reality,” response A proposal put forward by Cr Hughes erty value. year. He told financialed.” rates for 2022/2023 be offsetAby Cr Steven to coun- ers pays more as a percentage of proptouch with the cuts 24/2/21). put togethoffset by(“Rate be these rate income andvaluation capital works average corporate rate income proposal director“the to cut general per cent in out of many of by council’s er and in February last year to cut rates by one spend iscosts to the The and council thanoperating that “total Times in andTimes lowercil’s capital works erty value. Council says this is because five a proposal costs corporate A response lower that the imwith a 7-2 vote cil’s operating is generally residents by year. He told rates are commercial services read im-Frankston driver mainthat theread thewhy “the average valuation in Frankston per cent was rejected council’s director Frankston council’s and significantly program.

The rate cut would financial program. per cent councils is er by of the five pactmotion, simple, ifto the services are. It’s quite lower than many of these (“Rate cut promise not supported” as they would generally as highrate is cut council’s motion, the 2022/2023 “total council spend the to response response In commercial commercial In will go be “extremely cent significant and will imand that in Times 24/2/21). im-than rates rates are the five percouncil spends and commercial councils and significantly lower The Times and willless why Frankston director corporate if pact of pact on council’s future ability to both director corporate significant to both the main driver are. It’s quite simple, go be “extremely down.” future ability they will as high as pact on council’s less than rates council spends down.”

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FRANKSTON councillor Steven Hughes is facing an allegation of serious misconduct.

At their most recent public meeting, seven Frankston councillors agreed to apply for a councillor conduct panel to assess the allegation made against Hughes.

Since being elected in 2020, Steven Hughes has been the subject of two arbitration applications and has served a one month suspension.

He was suspended following a series of social media posts criticising council spending and policy.

The Times understands that Hughes’ recent public social media activity was once again a trigger for seeking disciplinary action.

Only Steven Hughes and his son, fellow councillor Liam Hughes, voted against applying for a conduct panel.

Steven Hughes defended his actions in a speech at last week’s council meeting. He addressed his remarks towards a packed public gallery.

“I would love to talk to you about this because then you’d see the absurdity of this.

What I can do is talk to you about what’s happened in the past,” he said. “I’ve had two arbitrations - one was in February last year, and one is still going on and is currently under investigation. Just wait for my social media post on that one, you’ll love that one.

“I got found guilty of bringing council into disrepute for saying your rates are too high. I got suspended for a month just for saying that.

This is a council that won’t tolerate financial scrutiny. (...) They don’t want me here.”

One of Hughes’ closing remarks was an exasperated “peace out”.

Although councillors were instructed by the mayor to not address the nature of the most recent allegation, Hughes said aloud at the

meeting that “we aren’t supposed to talk about the social media post I did recently which is the reason why this is happening”.

Councillor Kris Bolam, who has been personally singled out by Steven Hughes in his two most recent Facebook posts, said that the situation had become “quite disheartening”.

“We are seeing a continued systematic disregard for policies, procedures, and standards of conduct. That deserves and demands councillors to go to a councillor conduct panel which is very serious,” he said.

Councillor David Asker told the meeting that the lengthy dispute had been affecting the mental health of his fellow councillors. “The abuse we are receiving on Facebook is without measure and if this was a normal OH&S workplace, I would not have a job if I was posting some of this stuff,” he said. “It’s having a toll on me, and it’s having a toll on my family.”

Hughes’ ward colleague Sue Baker told the meeting that Hughes is welcome on the council, but that “the place for debate is here in the chamber where we have good advice from officers on legal matters, local laws, policies that are in place, [and] feedback from residents.”

Earlier this year Steven Hughes applied for a councillor conduct panel alleging that Kris Bolam had bullied him, but the allegations were dismissed. The published panel decision read that Hughes “showed a lack of awareness of the impact of his actions and a lack of insight into his behaviour and the impact it has on others around him” (“Councillor conflict escalates to conduct panel” The Times 8/8/22). The process cost ratepayers more than $30,000.

If this complaint is upheld, Hughes may be suspended for up to a year. The previous Frankston Council, which was overseen by a state government appointed monitor at ratepayers’ expense, also weathered a councillor conduct panel scandal. Former councillor Steve Toms was suspended for four months

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Frankston Times

11 October 2022

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