Councillor Darren Frazer has now requested he be removed as an appointee to the Oreti Community Board, a position he has held since 2019.
It comes after a fiery Monday night meeting when four of the board’s seven members turned on chairman Colin Smith, ousting him from the top role in front of an agitated crowd.
Cr Frazer said he believed everyone on the board had good intentions for serving the community, but conceded there was "quite a bit of tension".
"In the meantime, I think it’s best for me to use my time and energy to focus on council issues and put all my energy into that."
A report prepared for a Southland District Council meeting on August 26 showed Mayor Rob Scott had accepted Cr Frazer’s resignation, with deputy mayor Christine Menzies recommended as a replacement.
On Monday a special board meeting was held after four members wrote to the council stating their intention to remove Mr Smith as chairman.
Those members — Katie Allan, Dave Diack, Chris Herud and Tracy Kennedy — did not believe he was the person to lead the board.
But the community backed the now-former chairman to stay on.
Cr Frazer was one of three members who backed Mr Smith, but the vote was ultimately lost four to three.
Mr Scott also joined the chorus of support, saying he had only seen good leadership from Mr Smith.
Mr Smith said he was "very disappointed" by the actions of his fellow members this week, and has been replaced by Katie Allan.
The board’s dysfunction was highlighted in June when members voted against CCTV upgrades in the small town of Winton, despite strong support from the community and police.
An upcoming by-election will be held for the replacement of member Karen Maw, who resigned suddenly in July.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
