Rules around local government elections state councils “must not print, publish or distribute … any advertisement, handbill, pamphlet or notice during the election period” unless certified.

Many of the 19 candidates used Facebook pages as a way to promote their campaign.

Council chief executive Gerry Smith has admitted the Indigo Shire’s youth services page – set up as a open profile account – breached the rules with the “like”.

The admission was recorded in the agenda for Tuesday’s night’s council meeting in response to a question from Rutherglen’s David Valentine at the February meeting.

He asked if management had to take action “to cease the use of council services or facilities to facilitate or give support for the election of a candidate or group of candidates” during the election.

“In checking whether any actions of this nature occurred, the only instance I can find was an action taken by council management in accordance with the council’s election period policy to ‘unlike’ a candidate’s Facebook page which had been ‘liked’ by an officer through the Indigo Shire Council youth Facebook page,” Mr Smith said.

“This was removed immediately it was discovered.”

He did not reveal which candidate’s page had been liked by the youth services account.