Hume City Council has deferred its response to two detailed public questions about councillor misconduct complaints lodged during the 2020–2024 council term.
At the Monday 22 September council meeting, Hume resident Jack Sheriff submitted two written questions asking for a complete record of all complaints made to the Principal Conduct Registrar for alleged councillor misconduct that did not proceed to a Councillor Conduct Panel.
Mr Sheriff requested that council disclose who the complainants were, the outcomes of each matter – including whether there was a finding of breach, no breach, withdrawal, or another result – and the costs associated with the handling of each complaint.
He also asked for a breakdown of expenses such as the appointment of arbiters, room hire, catering, security, transcription services and staff time spent responding to calls and emails, calculated at council’s relevant hourly rates.
In a second question, Mr Sheriff sought clarification on whether there were any continuing or ongoing legal complaints or proceedings involving former councillors from that term, and if so, what the outcomes had been to date.
Chief financial officer Fadi Srour responded to both questions, saying they would be addressed at a future council meeting.
The council’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday 13 October. The council’s governance rules are here (PDF).