By Vanessa Chircop
HOBSONS Bay mayor Councillor Bill Tehan could face an investigation by the Ombudsman after asking a council officer to waive his parking ticket last month.
Cr Tehan received a parking ticket on Friday 3 September after parking his BMW in front of a loading zone on Ferguson Street in Williamstown.
The Mayor later approached a council officer and asked for the fine to be waived, sparking outrage among some council employees, a source told Star.
Hobsons Bay chief executive Bill Jaboor said that Cr Tehan received the fine while he was meeting with a ratepayer regarding a council matter.
Star contacted Cr Tehan on Wednesday 6 October regarding the parking ticket. Cr Tehan said: “In my opinion I should not have been booked in the first place.”
He refused to comment further. He paid the fine last Thursday, less than 24 hours after being contacted by Star.
Mr Jaboor said the officer who waived the fine made an error in judgement and has been made aware of the mistake.
“Steps have been taken to prevent such an incident from happening again,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Ombudsman’s office said a councillor requesting a staff member waive a ticket may be a breach of the council’s code of conduct.
“Most council codes of conduct contain a provision relating to councillors’ direct dealings with council employees,” she said. “Councillors come under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman pursuant to the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2001.
“If an appropriate complaint were made under the relevant legislation, the Ombudsman would consider it.”
A spokesperson for Local Government Victoria said all council codes of conduct required councillors to act lawfully. “If a councillor has breached the code of conduct, the council may request that the matter be heard by a Councillor Conduct Panel, which can require a councillor to make a public apology or take up to two months leave of absence,” she said.
“The Local Government Act makes it an offence for a councillor to misuse his or her position for personal gain.”
