A COUP to knock Armidale Regional Council mayor Simon Murray off his perch has been organised by seven councillors.
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Cr Murray was elected to the position four months ago by some of the same seven colleagues.
The rift will be aired in a public meeting on Friday, but Cr Murray said he had not been given formal notification of why the councillors wanted to oust him.
"I had a petition that two councillors brought to me a week before they requested that ... extraordinary meeting, and there was nothing in that petition," he said.
"They just want me to step down.
"But they verbatim gave me reasons why they thought I should step down; there is nothing written."
The councillors who have moved a vote of no confidence are Margaret O'Connor, Debra O'Brien, Jon Galletly, Peter Bailey, Andrew Murat, Dorothy Robinson and former administrator Ian Tiley.
It leaves deputy mayor Libby Martin, Diane Gray and Bradley Widders on the mayor's side.
While not after the top job herself, Cr O'Connor said there were concerns.
"I don't think it's a good thing. The mayor, I'm sure, has done his very best," she said.
"There's no blame involved in this, there's just a group of councillors who wish to move forward.
"I'm not saying the mayor is not taking the council forward at the moment. I just think democracy has to; this is an option under our Act and Code of Meeting Practice, and we've decided to move in this direction."
The move comes ahead of the council elections in September.
Cr Murray said he wrote down a number of points the councillors made for his removal and they included deputy mayor Libby Martin getting too much media attention; and chief executive Susan Law running two business symposiums that did not go to council but were included in its economic plans.
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Armidale businessman John Cassidy released a press statement that urged the council to work coherently.
"We cannot accept obfuscation at council meetings," he said.
"Those councillors will not be re-elected.
"This move by some disgruntled members of council flies in then face of reason and reality."
Steven Green
Senior Journalist with The Young Witness and The Inverell Times. A married, Blues supporter, I have grandkids who support the Maroons, I drink too much coffee, eat too much sugar and am constantly in search of the perfect pizza.
Senior Journalist with The Young Witness and The Inverell Times. A married, Blues supporter, I have grandkids who support the Maroons, I drink too much coffee, eat too much sugar and am constantly in search of the perfect pizza.
