Mornington Peninsula Shire Councillor Susan Bissinger has been suspended from office for 31 days by an Arbiter, who concluded that she engaged in misconduct.
The misconduct included publicly suggesting unjust punishment by the CEO for her opinion on the Intersex Pride Flag.
It was found that Cr Bissinger had issued a series of false statements to the media, amounting to an ‘unfounded conspiracy theory’ concerning the reason for the internal arbitration and that she had wrongly undermined the Council and CEO’s reputation.
The Arbiter’s review of Cr Bissinger’s behaviour took place late last year.
The suspension is the maximum penalty that the Arbiter could impose, and takes effect from midnight Friday 23rd February.
The full report of the Arbiter will be tabled at the Council Meeting on 5 March and included in the published meeting agenda on 1 March.
Read the Council’s statement on the outcome of the arbitration proceeding here.