July 3, 2019
Toowoomba Regional Council spent almost $1 million investigating 122 complaints about misconduct against staff and councillors since the March 2016 Council elections.
The average cost of processing each of the 122 complaints was close to $8000 but only 36 complaints were found to have any substance.
The figures were revealed at the council’s June meeting in a special report prepared at the request of Cr Joe Ramia.
Cr Ramia said asked for the report to be commissioned “because out in the community they would like to know what is going on with some of these allegations”.
The report disclosed the TRC spent $933,172 investigating 105 allegations of corrupt conduct by council staff since March 2016.
It found 71 of these allegations were unproven.
Thirty-four allegations were proven against 26 staff, nine of whom received a formal written reprimand; four were cautioned; two were demoted and given training; seven resigned; and four were sacked.
The council also spent a further $7876 investigating 17 allegations of misconduct by councillors, but found only two were proven.
One was against Cr Geoff McDonald for failing to declare a conflict of interest, and the other was against Mayor Paul Antonio involving the Inland Rail project.
The council’s insurers paid $45,675 in fines and legal expenses incurred by Cr Antonio while fighting the allegations, and the council paid a $15,000 excess to cover this.
Tribunal costs during the period were an extra $5454.
TRC CEO Brian Pidgeon noted that Toowoomba Regional Council employed 1776 staff and the 26 staff found to have misbehaved represented only slightly more than 1 per cent of its workforce.
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