by Emma Ballingall
Baw Baw Shire mayor Danny Goss vowed "I will not and cannot be broken" in a strong and, at times, emotional statement at the conclusion of Wednesday night's council meeting ahead of a 21 day suspension taking effect.
Cr Goss used his mayoral minute to address disappointment at the suspension, handed down following an internal arbitrator decision that he "breached the relevant standards" with abusive and threatening behaviour during two meetings last year.
Sending a message to "those of you out there enjoying what they see as my public humiliation" - he said "I'll be back even more determined".
"But this doesn't define me. Out of the 625 weeks I will spend here, I will not be remembered for this next three weeks."
With his wife Theresa sitting in the gallery, Cr Goss showed emotion when addressing "total and unwavering support" from his family.
He also admitted that, without the support of past and present teams at Baw Baw Shire, "I may well have walked away."
Apologising to fellow councillors, he said "the ability to bounce back has long been a strength of mine...and bounce back I will. I will not and cannot be broken."
"This is a setback, but it's only a small one. We will move past it."
The decision handed down by arbitrator Lily O'Neill on Friday, May 9 was tabled by the shire's interim executive officer John Bennie at the start of the council meeting.
Dr O'Neill ruled Cr Goss would serve a 21-day suspension effective from the conclusion of the next council meeting; in this case from Wednesday night.
He cannot undertake duties as mayor and councillor until Thursday, June 5.
The finding follows allegations from three former councillors Annemarie McCabe, Keith Cook and Farhat Firdous, lodged on May 31 last year.
They alleged "intimidating and threatening...disrespectful" behaviour at a councillor-only meeting in March and a council meeting in April as well as a "misogynistic and disrespectful" comment that councillors "stick to the knitting" at a council meeting in June. The latter was found not to be a breach.
Dr O'Neill's report acknowledged Cr Goss' public apology on March 26, delays to deal with the matter, and an online hearing in April which heard from eight of the previous nine councillors.
From that, Dr O'Neill said Cr Goss and past mayor Ms McCabe both acknowledged their "deteriorating relationship" and that Cr Goss had twice breached Standard 1(c) to "not engage in abusive, obscene or threatening behaviour in their dealings with members of the public, council staff and councillors".
During Cr Goss' suspension, council meetings and briefings will continue to run under deputy mayor Tricia Jones.
With no vote required after Mr Bennie tabled the decision, the matter was not addressed further until Cr Goss' mayoral minute.
As well as applause after Cr Goss opened the meeting, a majority of the gallery and six councillors applauded his statement at its conclusion.
"To say that this is a disappointing outcome is a gross understatement," Cr Goss said. "Since I received the news last Friday afternoon, I've taken the time to reflect and consider my options very carefully".
"In putting yourself up for election and taking part in public life, you expect criticism. In some cases, a lot more than that.
"Especially if you're a robust decision maker and a debater, such as myself. So in one way, this is no surprise," he said.
Cr Goss said he took "a great deal of solace" in his achievements, referring particularly to last year's election where he increased his first preference vote.
He said that public support gave him "new purpose" and "was the final say on the last council".
"Ratepayers made their judgement on the previous council. They sent me back with a stronger mandate and moved others on."
Cr Goss said he was "deeply sorry" to put the new council in this position after they've "worked so hard on repairing the damage from the last council".
He also apologised to council staff and acknowledged the process had "cost ratepayers thousands of dollars...(which) could have been avoided".
Concluding with a favourite Winston Churchill quote, Cr Goss said "success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to go on that counts. I'll see you all in three weeks."