A newly elected Central Otago District councillor has publicly responded after a social media post alleging past misconduct circulated online as election results were announced over the weekend. 

The post, which appeared on Facebook on Saturday (October 11) under the headline ‘The public deserves to know’, made allegations about Vincent ward councillor Dave McKenzie, claiming he had acted improperly while working as a contractor for Central Otago District Council several years ago.

Mayor Tamah Alley said she was aware of the social media posts and took the allegations seriously. 

“My expectation of all elected members is that their integrity and suitability to serve the community must be beyond reproach at all times,” Tamah said. 

“Any information held by council relevant to these allegations will be released through the appropriate channels under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA).” 

She said the councillor met all eligibility requirements set by the electoral officer to stand for office. 

“The mayor does not have the power to remove any members who are elected by their communities,” she said.

Council chief executive Peter Kelly confirmed the matter dated back to 2018 and related to contracting work carried out for the council at the time. 

“While the council thoroughly reviews the findings from the previous investigation, council will remain transparent about the matter and inform the public in due course,” he said. 

Dave said the Facebook post was misleading and appeared to stem from “a vengeful response to a fractured friendship rather than any reflection on my professional performance”. 

He claimed the allegations related to the conclusion of a long-running property maintenance contract he held with the council more than a decade ago. 

He said the contract, which was renewed annually for several years, became the subject of disagreement after the council proposed changing its terms.  

When he declined the revised arrangement, Dave said tensions arose over how work was allocated and invoiced. 

The dispute came to a head over repair work at Cromwell’s hall, after which the council alleged an invoicing breach.  

Dave said he combined his own costs with those of a subcontractor in a single invoice - a move council later disputed.  

He repaid a contested amount of $1,000 while the matter was being reviewed. 

An internal review followed, which Dave said reflected only staff perspectives and did not include his input.  

He said he completed all outstanding work during a three-month termination period and was later replaced by in-house staff. 

“Did I make mistakes seven years ago? Yes - as we all do. But I learned from them, as every professional should,” Dave said. 

“Contractual relationships require good faith from both sides, and that was not always evident toward the end.” 

He said he remained committed to serving the community and stood for election because “ratepayers desperately need a strong advocate - someone who understands how council operates and who will work constructively with staff to deliver essential services efficiently”. 

The council has confirmed it has received several formal information requests relating to the matter.

Latest election results show Dave was the fourth of four elected to represent the Vincent ward, receiving 1,582 votes, just 38 votes ahead of Louise van der Voort.

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