Tate Papworth
The Local Government Inspectorate has informed the Brimbank council that no further action will be taken in relation to a complaint regarding the conduct of mayor Georgina Papafotiou.
Cr Papafotiou last week said the decision didn’t surprise her.
“I am very disappointed to have been the victim of what I believe to be a politically motivated attack,” she said.
Star Weekly previously reported that Cr Virginia Tachos had raised a complaint with the inspectorate, claiming she was ordered to take a COVID-19 test by the mayor following receipt of an anonymous email.
Cr Tachos missed a council meeting and an important confidential vote while taking the test on April 29.
“I did not order Cr Tachos to have a COVID-19 test, and any suggestion it was done to prevent her vote being cast at a council meeting is ridiculous,” Cr Papafotious said last week.
Star Weekly has since sighted a leaked email from Cr Papafotious, to Cr Tachos, which indicates the mayor did ask Cr Tachos to undergo a test.
In the email, the mayor cites a letter with no contact address or email address as the basis for asking Cr Tachos to receive a test after she was photographed in St Albans shopping.
“I am concerned that your non-essential contact, and that there is several photos available in social media, may have put you at risk and also your family and fellow councillors.
“I am asking you if you could go to the local clinic and have a COVID test done ASAP – to protect us all. Especially as we are not doing virtual meetings yet and have a number of councillors at high risk.”
Cr Papafotious said the email proved her innocence.
“The email clearly shows I asked if she could, in order to protect us all, especially those councillors at high risk,” Cr Papafotiou said.
“While I asked that it be done as soon as possible, it cannot possibly be interpreted as trying to prevent her presence at a council meeting that same night.”
Cr Tachos said she was only able to comment to Star Weekly as an individual, not as a councillor.
She said the council needs to review its anonymous letter policy and asked the Inspectorate to address what she sees as “a lack of procedural fairness”.
“ I have been the target of anonymous letters and other internal and external harassment for the last four years with little to no investigation by council,” Ms Tachos said.
“This has lead me to seek an external investigation with the Inspectorate to address the lack of procedural fairness .
“The Inspectorate has made the recommendation that ‘the customer service charter should be updated to advise how council will deal with anonymous complaints.
“This should be clarified to ensure that councillors, council staff members and members of the public are well informed regarding the procedure around anonymous letters.
“I missed the vote at a special council meeting that night on an important property matter.”
Star Weekly is not implying that the mayor sent Cr Tachos to get a test in order to prevent her attending the meeting.
