Official complaint lodged against Sandown Mayor

An official complaint has been lodged against the conduct of a town councillor.

The complaint has been made to the Isle of Wight Council’s (IWC) monitoring officers concerning the Sandown Town Council Mayor’s register of interests.

The complaint was lodged against Mayor Jacquie Mereweather on August 30 and confirmed by IWC on August 31.

Mayor Mereweather resigned from her role on the Sandown Community Partnership on August 22.

At the time she said: “I admit an error in not including membership of the partnership in my register of interests, this shall be rectified.”

The Mayor received an administrative allowance from the partnership last year.

A spokesman for IWC said: “It is the policy of the monitoring officer whose role it is to deal with such complaints not to comment on any issue that may be referred to her until such time as an initial assessment of the complaint has taken place, a decision has been made on how to deal with the complaint and this has been conveyed to the relevant parties.”

Failing to register or disclose a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI), can result in a fine of £5000 and disqualification for five years from local council and from other local authorities.

When asked if she had been notified of the complaint Mayor Mereweather said: “I have no knowledge of this.”

Sandown Town Council have been contacted for comment.