THE relationship between the Hawkesbury and The Hills councils has become tense over proposed merger reforms.
Hawkesbury mayor Kim Ford has lashed out at The Hills Council's approach to the Fit for the Future debate, saying they are trying to "pull the wool over the eyes" of residents.
READ MORE: Click here to read about The Hills Council's boundary alignment preferences.
Councillor Ford said The Hills had not included the option of "No Change" to the boundaries of each council area when presenting the options to residents recently.
"The skewed survey denies residents informed choice," Cr Ford said.
NSW councils are expected to make submissions outlining their financial sustainability as part of the Fit for the Future process by mid-year.
Some have welcomed the idea of mergers with neighbouring councils, but not Hawkesbury.
"T Corp has assessed Hawkesbury Council's financial position as moderate and its external auditor has indicated that the council is in a sound and stable financial position," Cr Ford said.
"Our level of outstanding debt as at June 2014 was $6.8 million which is well within benchmarks.
"This resolution was communicated to the mayor of The Hills by me and also by the general manager to The Hills general manager in separate correspondence."
In response, The Hills mayor Andrew Jefferies accused Hawkesbury general manager Peter Jackson of interfering with the decision made by Hawkesbury councillors.
"We have a unanimous resolution from all The Hills councillors and we all believe that local government reform is far more important than just the position of Hawkesbury's general manager," he said.
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