WASTING no time during his short stint as Acting Mayor, Cr Giacomo Arnott moved a Mayoral Minute at Council’s April 11 meeting to provide financial assistance to nine community organisations from the Mayoral Fund.

Cr Arnott, who was performing the duties of Acting Mayor for two weeks in the absence of Mayor Ryan Palmer, moved to provide each group with grants of between $500 and $1500, a total of $7,305.

This amount constituted the remainder of the Mayoral Fund, with $1000 pledged earlier in the meeting from the fund for a series of community barbeque events to be held in Medowie, Raymond Terrace and Nelson Bay.

Each year the Mayor is allocated $30,000 to spend at their discretion on projects or activities benefiting the Port Stephens LGA.

“My time as Acting Mayor will be relatively brief, just two weeks,” said Cr Arnott.

“But when I got the call letting me know that I would be acting in the role, I decided I would be trying my best to do some good with it.

“These community organisations are shining examples of what volunteers in Port Stephens are able to achieve.

“From looking after the homeless, to those fleeing domestic violence, to supporting young Aboriginal men as they navigate their teenage years, to giving young adults mental health support that the system has failed to provide them.”

Cr Arnott told the meeting he had spent years “criticising the way the Mayoral Fund is utilised and the type of organisations that receive funding from it”.

“I have decided that in my short time in the role, I am going to do something about it.

“I don’t like being someone who sits there and complains all the time, I see myself as a doer and this is me being a doer.

“This isn’t even 20 percent of the Mayoral Fund for a year and it is able to go to so many groups and provide support to our community.”

Quick to voice his disapproval at Cr Arnott’s motion to spend the remainder of the Mayoral Fund in the Mayor’s absence was Cr Steve Tucker, suggesting the Acting Mayor could support some of the listed organisations through West Ward funding.

“I have no problem at all with the Acting Mayor having a dip into Mayoral Funds, even if it’s the first time it has ever happened.

“But I don’t really think it is appropriate to spend all the Mayoral Fund in one night, because that means there will be nothing left for the next couple of months, so sorry, I can’t support it.”

Cr Peter Kafer however, passionately supported Cr Arnott in his motion, citing the vital role the organisations play in supporting vulnerable people in the community.

“If you look through these seven or eight items here, what do they all have in common?

“Food – that’s what it’s all about.

“Supplying food to homeless people or people who are doing it tough in society.

“If you are going to quibble about $500 here or $1000 there, you are not much of a person in this regard.

“I am sure if the Mayor had been here he probably would have gone along with it.”

Cr Kafer then suggested that if the Mayor needed to allocate funds in the remaining months of the financial year, councillors could assist from ward funding.

“This is an opportunity again, to give back to our community.

“Crikey, we put the rates up, let’s give them something back,” Cr Kafer said.

Cr Leah Anderson also voiced her support, for both the motion in front of council and the community groups impacted.

“I can’t see anyone on that list who doesn’t deserve a helping hand.

“It is going to help the people of our community who need it the most.”

Councillors Kafer, Francis, Wells, Bailey, Anderson and Arnott voted in favour of the motion, with Councillor Tucker voting against.

Mayor Ryan Palmer told News Of The Area that no consultation regarding the expenditure of the Mayoral Fund took place prior to the meeting.

“In fact the first I knew of the entire expenditure was through a concerned resident,” Mayor Palmer said.

“I leave it up to others to judge whether it was appropriate for the Acting Mayor to spend the entirety of the funds in my absence.

“If I was in the same position, I know I certainly wouldn’t,” he said.

Mayor Palmer said while the organisations who received funds are deserving of support, he has concerns over whether correct processes have been followed.

“The groups who have received funds are certainly worthy but I’m not sure due process has been followed and that any request for funds has actually been received by Council from these groups.

“This means that other groups will now potentially miss out on funds for urgent needs or requests due to the clearing of the Mayoral Funds.

“The process of handling public funds needs to be transparent and it’s a shame that this seems to have gone out the window while I take a small break away with my family.”

Following Council’s decision, funding has been allocated to the following Port Stephens community groups:

A. $1,500 to the Warlga Ngurra Family & Community Hub for their ongoing work to provide food for those unable to afford it in the local community. B.

B. $1,000 to Port Stephens Family & Neighbourhood Services for their schedule of programs which support young people in the community.

C. $1,000 to the Yacaaba Centre for their ongoing work to support homeless people in Port Stephens.

D. $1,000 to Tomaree Neighbourhood Centre for their ongoing work to support vulnerable and disadvantaged community members on the Tomaree Peninsula.

E. $805 to Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation for their continued work supporting disadvantaged Aboriginal people in our community.

F. $500 to the St John’s Parish Pantry at Raymond Terrace Anglican Church, to support their ongoing work to provide food to needy families.

G. $500 to the Raymond Terrace Salvation Army to support their regular free community lunches.

H. $500 to the Clontarf Foundation for their work in engaging and supporting young Aboriginal men in our local community.

I. $500 for COPSY, for their Jupiter Mental Health initiative, which helps young people in Port Stephens access support that they would otherwise be unable to access.

By Doug CONNOR