Outspoken Tauranga councillor Murray Guy has been accused of seeking the media spotlight in a war of words over council plans to add a $225,000 lounge to the chapel at Pyes Pa Crematorium.
The spat is with the former owner of Legacy Funerals, Greg Brownless, whose criticisms last week prompted a terse response from Cr Guy: "I can't believe the gall of the gentleman."
It follows council decisions to protect its financial position since Legacy ended the council's monopoly on cremations. The council has since spent $50,000 upgrading its chapel and planned to build a function room where people could gather.
Cr Guy said it was galling that Mr Brownless was criticising the project when, during his time as a councillor, he helped determine policy that the cemeteries operation would be self-funding at no cost to ratepayers.
He accused Mr Brownless of locating Tauranga Park chapel next to Pyes Pa Cemetery in order to capitalise on council services.