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Nwicker60
08-Feb-11, 15:28
WALKOUT!...COMMUNITY COUNCILLOR RESIGNS OVER COLLEAGUE'S ATTITUDE

A WICK community councillor dramatically resigned this week, saying she had had enough of a fellow member’s approach to council life.
Discontent has been simmering since Laurel Bush joined the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council, last year.
Since then he has persistently requested information on a series of topics and been critical of how the council was being run. At a previous sitting, in December, he went so far as to make an unsuccessful motion that the meeting was “incompetent” and “invalid”.
Members have become increasingly irritated by Mr Bush’s attitude but have endeavoured to answer his queries, to the best of their abilities. However, their patience ran out last night (Monday) when tempers became frayed and a row erupted with local pub boss Wendy Campbell walking out, and making it clear she wouldn't be coming back.
The trouble began at the current session when Mr Bush circulated a paper questioning the council’s sub groups and their constitution and actions.
Mrs Campbell invited Mr Bush to become a member of all of the groups and rapped: “All you have done since you came on this council is to criticise it. Are you going to come on the groups...yes or no, instead of criticising and giving us headaches and all this c**p.
Chairwoman Coreen Campbell: “I came on the community council to help get things done. None of us can understand why you decided to become a community councillor”
Mr Bush:”It is something I am very keen on.”
Coreen Campbell: “We would prefer if you to be positive rather than negative”.
She then rose, declared she was resigning and, replying to a well-meaning member who commented: “You’ll be back” said: “I don’t think so.”
Councillor Geraldine Durrand, referring to the resignation, predicted: “This is going to happen, more and more”.
Councillor Joanna Coghill said they had all come on the council to try to do something good and couldn’t understand Councillor Bush’s attitude.
Mr Bush said that he wanted the council to spend more time providing information to the public and enable it to make informed decisions adding: “That depends on being transparent.”
Mrs Campbell insisted that the council was transparent and its business was covered by two reporters and occasionally, some members of the public sat in on its meetings.
Mr Bush: “Everyone round the table is happy but I am not.”
Mrs Campbell: “ I think you are unhappy with anything we do.”
Council secretary Gail MacDonald told Mr Bush: “You have this bee in your bonnet about transparency. What do you think we are hiding?”
Mr Bush: “It is difficult to know because I can’t actually see it.” He added that he felt the council should be raising more issues and getting more information from Highland Council.
Miss MacDonald: “People don’t want stress coming here every month and getting this. Do you think the public will thank you if you if there is no community council."
Mrs Campbell indicated she had a lot on her plate at the moment and warned Mr Bush: “I don’t need this and I am b------d if I am going to allow you to ruin a good community council.”
Members moved onto the next business.