Kaipara District Council's controversial outgoing mayor Craig Jepson announced in June he would not run for relection. Photo: Supplied / Kaipara District Council
An emergency Kaipara District Council meeting about conduct during the local elections has been adjourned until Friday, after being interrupted by members of the public.
Outgoing mayor Craig Jepson called the meeting 24 hours before the final election results were due.
He hoped to make a complaint about conduct related to the local body election and said he had seen a number of "irregularities" with the process.
But the meeting on Thursday was over before it began, as protesters approached the councillors and refused to sit down.
"You're not able to come up and stand up here, sit down. Take your seat," Jepson said.
"This not a place where you can come and do this... Okay, we're going to adjourn the meeting until tomorrow morning. Thank you."
Jepson told RNZ he would be back on Friday morning to try again.
"Yeah [I'm disappointed], but it's what I expected."
A number of councillors criticised the mayor for calling an emergency council meeting, instead of making his own individual complaint.
Council candidates may apply to the district court for a judicial recount within three working days of the election results being declared, or within 21 days for a judicial inquiry.
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