I was very disturbed to read of actions taken against Councillor Jasmin Jones and the public apology that she was forced to make after she declared that she had no confidence in the General Manager following the 'Park and Ride' debacle earlier in the year.

Councillor Jones spoke for many members of the community and she deserved strong backing up for what she said and, if the circumstances of the 'Park and Ride' debacle are re-visited, then the General Manager did not deserve her confidence, as what was planned was ill-considered. The Council's immediate reversal of this plans is ample evidence that she was right 'on the mark' in saying what many others were already saying.

The actions of the General Manager and the Council seem to be petty and spiteful with the intention of scoring points against Councillor Jones by deliberately humiliating her. It is on record that Council spent some $7000 (of rate payers' money) on  legal fees and that Cr Jones also  spent $3,000 (from her own pocket!) in this pointless activity.

This money is wasted at a time when we are participating in the 'Fit For the Future' exercise to justify an excessive increase in the rates and I have enjoyed in assisting in this but I believe that most of the good strategies have come from the randomly chosen rate payers, rather than those from the General Manager and his coterie.

Cr Jones has participated effectively here and has taken a very strong and positive part in its activities and has contributed with admirable good sense.

I think that she has been very shabbily treated and it is really the General Manager who should be apologising, not her. I wonder, too, why the Council member, who is part of this unpleasant complaint remains anonymous?

I believe that the mean mindedness of it all seriously raises questions about the Council's own 'Fitness For the Future' and it may well be a that an amalgamation is inevitable -  or even the calling in of an Administrator to go into the workings of the Yass Council?

Cr Jones is a most valued member of our community, who really cares for where she lives and she deserves much better treatment than she's presently receiving.