Gore deputy mayor Stewart MacDonell faces a requisition - a formal written application signed by seven Gore District councillors - next month, calling for him to be replaced.
He was appointed deputy mayor on November 9 by new mayor Ben Bell but appears to be a dead man walking in his new role.
The seven councillors released a statement late yesterday saying the requistion came after much deliberation and attempts to work collaboratively to provide the best governance structure for the community.
"We believe our new mayor deserves strong support and guidance. Unfortunately, we have to take this course of action to achieve that," the statement said.
Mr Bell, who at 23 is the country’s youngest mayor, could not be contacted, a council spokeswoman confirming he was on unscheduled leave for the rest of the week.
RNZ reported yesterday Mr Bell had emailed his council colleagues on Wednesday afternoon to say he was taking a break.
"As you can all imagine the past few days has been pretty rough for me. I have been on the go constantly since being sworn in. So ... I have decided to take some time for the rest of the week," the email said.
"I will still be answering emails and doing some work so please don’t hesitate to call me if you need.
"As Stewart was confirmed as deputy yesterday he will be my man on the ground so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with him also if there are any issues.
"I hope you can all understand this decision and I look forward to catching up with each of you next week."
Cr MacDonell said the problem was a breakdown in communication between the councillors and it needed to be fixed.
"There was always going to be a faction in council, who because they were very deeply connected with the previous mayor, were going [to] find it very difficult to adjust to a new mayor," he said.
He was always going to be seen as a controversial choice for deputy mayor to some because of his outspoken opposition to the previous mayor during the past triennium.
He declined to elaborate to the Otago Daily Times.
When announcing Cr MacDonell’s appointment earlier this month, Mr Bell said he was confident in his leadership skills and financial experience.
That view did not seem to be shared by councillors Richard McPhail, Bronwyn Reid, Paul McPhail, Bret Highsted, Joe Stringer, Neville Phillips and Glenys Dickson, who all signed the requisition to have Cr MacDonnell removed.
The council is made up of 11 councillors and the mayor.
Cr Phillips said the seven of them only had the interests of the district at heart.
"This is no underhanded thing or power play to undermine Ben whatsoever."
Cr Paul McPhail said he signed it because, from what he had seen, Mr Bell was not getting good help or advice.
"It’s a shame because I want to see him succeed."
Cr Highsted agreed that Mr Bell needed the best possible support and said it was concerning that the council’s committees had yet to be established.
Former deputy mayor Cr Reid said there was a busy triennium ahead for the council and it was important the council was united with constructive support in place.
Cr Stringer, who was elected with Mr Bell on the Team Hokonui ticket, said he did not want to comment on the matter.
Crs McPhail and Dickson could not be contacted.
The requisition is signed by council chief executive Stephen Parry as being received at 4pm on Tuesday, the same time as the inaugural ordinary council meeting.
Mr Parry said while it was Mr Bell’s right to appoint Cr MacDonell to the position, the deputy mayor needed the support of the majority of councillors to retain office.
An extraordinary council meeting will take place on December 15 for councillors to consider the requisition.
A new deputy mayor will be elected if a majority agrees.
