More than 4800 people signed it and at least 9% were from Gore, 12% were from Southland, 46% from the rest of New Zealand and 29% did not state a location, a report by council staff said.
Someone called "Steve Parry" was one of 10 people who signed the petition twice. One person from Gore signed it five times.
The results have been made public as Mr Parry released his first statement about allegations of a culture of bullying at the council, describing them as "extremely hurtful and stressful".
The council is to decide next week whether it will receive the petition, to be presented by Gore Mayor Ben Bell.
Mr Bell (24) was set to face a vote of no confidence from councillors last month, but they backed out of it after a strong public backlash and national media scrutiny.
Support for the petition, started by Sean Burke, indicated significant public dissatisfaction with the council and the chief executive it has employed for the past two decades.
The staff report was prepared by community lifestyle services general manager Rex Capil.
It did not offer a recommendation on whether the council should receive the petition, but there were indications accepting it could put the council in an awkward position.
Councillors would need to consider the petition's credibility and "legality in terms of fulfilling its stated purpose".
"In other words, can the petition achieve what its purpose... intended and, if not, what may be any unintended consequences for the council, especially as an employer?"
The council decided unanimously on May 3 it had "full confidence in the chief executive and staff in providing for the ongoing functioning of the council in undertaking its day-to-day activities".
The relationship between Mr Parry and Mr Bell broke down last year and the council has decided an independent review should be carried out to restore confidence in the organisation. This will cost about $130,000.
There have been allegations Mr Parry presided over a culture of bullying at the council.
What people said
Themes were clear among the 447 people who signed the petition and who stated they were from Gore.
Kay Ryder was one of many people to observe it appeared Mr Parry was a bully.
Rebecca Stewart said the district did not elect Mr Parry and it was time for him to go.
"Time to let Ben have a chance and remove the people that are making it difficult for him," Tracy Allan said.
"Mr Parry needs to step back and let Mr Bell get on with what he was elected to do," Shirley Sheridan said.
Lesley Casey said Gore councillors needed to "grow up and stop acting like entitled bullies in the school yard".
"The old guard must go," Shirley Deans, from East Gore, said.
Sally McIntyre said councillors must "wake up and see that they have the authority over the chief executive, not the other way round".
Such themes were echoed by many other people throughout the country.
Shane Nicholson, of Hamilton, said he no longer lived in Gore but classed it as his home town.
It was clear to him "young blood" was needed in Gore to lead the district into the future.
Claire Struthers, from Christchurch, said "the knives have been out for Ben from day one".
It was "interesting to note how the councillors had a change of heart regarding the no-confidence vote now the spotlight is well and truly on the lot of them".
Parry statement
Over recent weeks Gore District Council staff have been subject to a barrage of allegations and criticism.
In the newspaper, on television and even when socialising, staff are confronted by questions and accusations.
The allegations have been extremely hurtful and stressful, yet staff have continued to act professionally and serve their community to the best of their ability.
The Council cannot, nor would it, comment on issues of employment relating to past or present employees. It would also be inappropriate to speculate about the motivation behind recent allegations.
It is important to acknowledge that:
• There is a distinct difference between performance management and systemic bullying in the workplace
• No complaints of bullying by former dissatisfied staff against the Council have been upheld
As with any workplace – from small businesses to large corporations – there can be disharmony, even conflict. It would be naive to believe this hasn’t been the case at the Council.
The strength of an organisation is how it learns from these situations to build a cohesive, inclusive workplace.
During the Chief Executive’s appraisal process, the question ‘GDC is a good place to work’ scored 4.5 out of 5. In a GoreDC staff survey last year, 75% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, ‘My organisation has effective governance and leadership in health and safety.’
