Dunedin deputy mayor Sophie Barker resigns, says 'untenable' to continue

Dunedin's deputy mayor has resigned, citing difficulties working with the mayor.

Sophie Barker's decision to step down from the role followed a tumultuous few days after she and senior city councillor Jim O'Malley filed a complaint about Mayor Jules Radich minimising racial abuse from a community board chairman against a member of the public.

She said she would continue as a councillor.

Barker was Dunedin's highest-polling councillor in last year's council elections and was widely considered an astute choice as Radich's deputy.

In her resignation letter, Barker said it was untenable for her to continue as deputy mayor, and what she called a breach of the confidential part of a Dunedin City Council meeting late last month by Radich had been the final straw.

It was hard to imagine a series of media comments by the mayor had not undermined the integrity of the council, she said.

Barker said it would have been difficult to maintain a close working relationship with the mayor after having laid a code of conduct complaint against him.

Radich said he had accepted Barker's resignation as deputy mayor.

"A new person will be appointed and the work of council will continue apace."

In a statement released earlier, Radich said he was surprised by the filing of the complaint.

"There is no crisis," the mayor said about his administration.

"It has been a cohesive council to date and I expect it will continue to be so," he said.

Meantime, the council confirmed Radich's conduct would be looked into.

On 29 August, the city council censured Strath Taieri Community Board chairman Barry Williams, and asked him to consider resigning as board chairman, for a racist comment.

Mr Radich then, on radio, labelled the incident as "just a relatively minor thing" and disclosed it happened at a pub.

The mayor apologised for his commentary.

An investigator will conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether Radich materially breached the code of conduct and if an investigation is needed.

Barker earlier yesterday issued an explosive rejection of councillor Carmen Houlahan's accusation her complaint about the mayor's conduct had been politically motivated.

"The only assumption I can come to is that Cr Barker is starting campaigning now for her mayoral run two years out from the next election, which in my opinion is crazy and certainly not normal," Houlahan had said.

Barker slated Houlahan for producing "ridiculous theories", "damaging speculation" and "wild, unsubstantiated accusations".

Houlahan said she was shocked by who had laid the complaint, "as they were councillors I had a lot of respect for".

"The mayor admitted he made some mistakes in the RNZ interview and apologised immediately.

"What more can he do?"

Barker said the complaint was filed out of "a belief that the code has been breached in a number of ways and [because of] the need for an independent investigation".

Brent Weatherall said he was shocked such action had been taken by a deputy mayor "chosen for their role by Mayor Radich".

Power Farming chief executive Tom Ruddenklau met Williams, a company employee, last week to discuss his comments.

Ruddenklau said there had been a formal investigation into Williams' behaviour, and he had reiterated what was deemed acceptable performance and appropriate representation of their company.

Williams had expressed genuine remorse, he said.

Ruddenklau was satisfied no further action against Mr Williams was required.

The Strath Taieri Community Board agenda for Thursday's meeting in Hyde includes a "code of conduct matter" among the items the chairman is to provide an update on.

- Additional reporting Tim Scott

This story was first published by the Otago Daily Times