Gore's CEO has returned after a two-month absence just in time for his colleagues to consider a petition calling for him to resign.
Councillors have just finished a meeting on Tuesday where they voted on whether to accept the nearly 5000-strong petition.
Gore's CEO opened the door for the Mayor as a petition calls for Stephen Parry to show himself out.
It accuses the CEO of leading a toxic and bullying culture at the council but fellow councillors jumped to the defence of their boss.
"The employment of the CE is not a public matter. And the employment relationship is private," Councillor Richard McPhail said.
"The uninformed commentary and unjustified attacks on the CEO, staff and councillors is extremely unpleasant," councillor Glenys Dickson said.
"The petition has no legal standing or validity and is very malicious in intent," Councillor Bronwyn Reid said.
Tuesday was the first time since April that Parry was at a Council meeting in person.
"The number of signatures is 4858," Mayor Ben Bell said.
Then-23-year-old Bell won the mayoralty by just eight votes last year.
The CEO and Mayor haven't seen eye-to-eye since December and an intermediary had to be appointed to bridge their relationship.
Just last month eight councillors collectively asked the Mayor to resign but when it came time to a vote of no confidence no one moved the action.
On Tuesday, all but one council member voted in favour of throwing the petition out.
