Adelaide Councillor Mary Couros to apologise for ‘intentional’ breach of Local Government Act

Adelaide City Councillor Mary Couros is acceptable to contented a nationalist apology successful a assembly gathering aft an Ombudsman study recovered she had attempted to power an docket point for which she had a struggle of involvement in.

The councillor was the source of a study conducted by SA Ombudsman Emily Strickland successful narration to a assembly gathering connected 28 May 2024, with it uncovering her actions constituted “an intentional and superior breach of the integrity provisions of the Local Government Act”, arsenic reported successful The Advertiser.

The study specifically pertained to an docket point discussed regarding imaginable upgrades, including nationalist toilet facilities successful Lombard St, North Adelaide.

The findings state that Couros had declared a worldly struggle of involvement owed to her spouse being a shareholder successful Tony Tomatoes – situated adjacent to Lombard St – and that she would permission the gathering and not vote.

Couros was recovered to person exchanged messages with chap councillor Henry Davis soon aft the discussions connected the point commenced and which addressed the subject of nationalist toilet prices.

The councillor argued her actions did not magnitude to a contravention of the Local Government Act arsenic she was not successful the enclosure for discussions nor did she articulation successful deliberation, while besides claiming she was located acold capable distant arsenic not to perceive the discussion.

Strickland stated while Cr Couros’ involvement was much accurately characterised arsenic a wide struggle of interest, alternatively than a worldly one, her behaviour amounted to an intentional breach of the Local Government Act.

“In my opinion, by sending text messages to impact herself successful and question to power the treatment done Cr Davis, Cr Couros did not enactment with the grade of honesty required,” Strickland said.

Strickland made respective recommendations for the misconduct, including that the assembly reprimand Couros, she be applicable training and that she contented a nationalist apology astatine a nationalist assembly meeting, which she will bash so astatine the coming 1 this Tuesday.