However, Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman Andrew Simms is confident he has breached no rules and he argues any mayoralty barb is beside the point.
Public interest in the Dunedin City Council’s decision tomorrow about whether it should sell Aurora was extensive, Mr Simms said.
A Facebook post at the weekend drawing attention to the council meeting and calling for retention of the company was from his own political page, which referred to his board role prominently.
However, the post was not on behalf of the board.
The community board had decided not to take a position on the potential sale of the electricity distribution company.
"I don’t think many people would misinterpret that post as coming from the community board", Mr Simms said.
Dunedin city councillor Andrew Whiley said it was not a good look.
Cr Whiley said Mr Simms had implied the board took a position on the issue.
"That’s misleading the public", he said.
"I find his behaviour frustrating."
Mr Simms’ push to retain Aurora was a "personal crusade" and not one endorsed by the rest of the board, Cr Whiley said.
"Community board chairs have consistently focused on issues in their community or taken stances on issues where the community board members are united on an issue", he said.
"I believe Mr Sims (sic) is more focused on his own agenda and his election campaign for the mayoralty next year than representing the full views of his community board."
Cr Whiley said he might have considered lodging a code of conduct complaint if it would not have taken up staff time and cost ratepayers money.
Mr Simms said he wished Cr Whiley would pursue a complaint, as he could not see how it would be upheld.
"Andrew Simms — Chairperson of the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board" was his own page.
"This is not the Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board Facebook page, but a commercial page set up by me to operate my political activities from."
Aurora was an issue for the whole community, including Mosgiel-Taieri, he said.
"The overwhelming view of the community, including the Mosgiel-Taieri community, is that Aurora should be retained.
"I do not need a vote from the board to express my personal opinion."
Mr Simms did not rule out a tilt at the Dunedin mayoralty.
"To say it’s part of a mayoralty campaign is just ridiculous."
"I’m a long way away from deciding what I’ll do next year."
Cr Whiley suggested Mr Simms tried and failed to get the board to take a position, but Mr Simms pointed out he moved the board’s resolution himself.
Board members spoken to by the Otago Daily Times yesterday were largely supportive of Mr Simms.
However, more than one said Mr Simms had walked a fine line on Aurora.
Dunedin deputy mayor Cherry Lucas said people had asked her if Mr Simms was expressing the community board’s view.
She felt a public-perception problem had been created.
It would be a different situation if the community board had decided on a view, she said.
At a council hearing in May about Aurora, Mr Simms submitted his views as a businessman.
