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At the 3 February 2026 Council meeting Cr McMahon made statements about Cr Zamprogno and he wants an apology at this coming meeting. The community want to know how much this fight is going to cost?
The financial and community cost of councillor conduct complaints has again come under scrutiny following a formal complaint lodged after the 3 February council meeting.
Council’s Governance function covering councillor conduct, compliance, meetings and legislative obligations recorded $1.104 million in expenses for 2024/25, however this is not broken down by activity so the cost of Councillor on Councillor complaint resolution is unknown.
The issue has been highlighted by a complaint lodged by Cr Zamprogno, following remarks made by Deputy Mayor Cr McMahon during debate on a motion concerning septic tank fees at the Council meeting. Cr Zamprogno has said the comments implied he stood to gain financially from the motion and that Cr McMahon statements were inconsistent with exemptions in the Councillor Code of Conduct.
He objected and the Mayor responded he didn't hear Cr McMahon comments and moved the meeting along.
However, with Councillor Zamprogno now seeking a formal apology and further debate anticipated at tomorrow's council meeting, increasing administrative and governance workload which may have been avoided if the Mayor had heard.
A regular council watcher, speaking to the Gazette, said the situation reflected a broader cultural problem in council meetings.
“At some point the community might need to chip in and buy the Mayor a hearing aid. Gaslighting of Cr Zamprogno by Cr McMahon and vice versa is a regular happening in meeting and needs to be stopped straight away before they get up a head of steam."
"If gaslighting comments are addressed the moment they’re spoken, they can be shut down immediately. Instead, we end up with another gladiatorial contest where words fly like bullets causing a brawl.”
The observer said unresolved exchanges allowed to pass in meetings escalate into formal complaints, prolonging conflict and driving up costs for ratepayers.
Governance experts note that while strong debate is essential to democracy, failure to intervene early can result in disputes becoming entrenched, costly and damaging to public confidence.
With complaint-related costs not itemised in council’s public financial reporting, the precise financial impact on ratepayers remains unclear.
What is evident, however, is that unresolved conflict carries both financial consequences and a growing social toll for councillors, staff and the Hawkesbury community.
Read about the 3 February council meeting by clicking on this link: https://www.hawkesburygazette.com/view-from-the-press-desk-4/
