FORMER Wangaratta councillor Julian Fidge has been reprimanded with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal upholding 14 misconduct breaches against him.
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The adjudication yesterday ends a long-running saga between Dr Fidge and his former council colleagues.
And it paves the way for him to run again when local government elections are held next year.
“I will put my hand up again,” he said yesterday.
“I won’t let them (the old council) stand over me.”
Dr Fidge was suspended for two-months in August, 2013, after a councillor conduct panel found him guilty of misconduct, just one month before former Local Government Minister Jeanette Powell dismissed the council.
He immediately appealed that decision, resulting in a three-day VCAT hearing in last August. He faced 22 complaints after 35 others were thrown out.
VCAT senior member Ian Proctor upheld 14 of those when delivering his finding in December; his ruling of a reprimand yesterday means Dr Fidge is not subject to any further punishment or on- going penalties.
No one from the councillor conduct panel appeared at yesterday’s hearing, while former councillors Rozi Parisotto, Don Joyce, Tammy Lee Atkins and Lisa McInerney were represented by their lawyer.
Dr Fidge was “absolutely pleased” the matter was finished, but maintained the matter should never have “dragged on and on”.
“This (the reprimand) is a very mild, minor punishment for what were very minor transgressions,” he said.
“And that’s after two years and thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands, spent.
“Of the 200-odd complaints made, I’m relieved only 14 were thought to be misconduct.”
Most of the 14 breaches upheld centred on Dr Fidge’s strained relationship with senior staff, including former chief executive officer Doug Sharp.
Facebook comments by Dr Fidge were found to be unacceptably aggressive, insulting and disrespectful.
Dr Fidge said he accepted “my speech was at times a bit over the top” and there were valuable lessons he could learn.
He said he would run again when Wangaratta had the chance to elect a new council.
“I honestly think in 11 months we achieved more than the previous council had in 10 years,” he said.
“We left the council in a much better position than it had been in decades.
“I would be looking forward, if I was elected, to working with the new council management team.”