Councillor Peter Sycopoulis has revealed Brian Kelson had asked him to allow him to take the place of Peter Hulin whose sensational resignation prompted a vote countback in March.

Cr Sycopoulis spoke out on Wednesday after Mr Kelson, the ratepayers association president, labelled the current Warrnambool City Council as the "worst council in living memory" and erected corflutes in his front yard calling for all seven members to be voted out.

Cr Sycopoulis said he had been a founding member of the association and believed its core objective was to advocate for ratepayers on council issues.

"I'm not convinced that calling for the wholesale sacking of all councillors fits this mandate," he said.

"I respect the notion of freedom of speech and democracy vested in the people. Therefore there is an irony in the fact that Brian Kelson asked me to step aside at the time of the election countback so that he could fill the councillor position himself which flies in the face of the democratic process he espouses.

"With friends like these, who needs enemies? God bless them."

Mr Kelson confirmed he had made the request of Cr Sycopoulis. "Yes I did ask him to step aside," he said.

He said he was on a cruise when he got a phone call from then Cr Peter Hulin to say he'd resigned.

Mr Kelson said after another potential council candidate offered to step aside so he could take the position if they were successful, he rang Cr Sycopoulis.

"The reception wasn't that great on the boat. I think we had about four interrupted calls," he said.

"I said 'Listen Pete, if your name was pulled out of the hat before mine would you consider standing aside and I would go in?'

"His answer was this: 'No, no I will not step aside for you. I will not do it. I want the money. I have two kids to put through university and I need the money. It's alright for you, you've had a business'."

Mr Kelson accused Cr Sycopoulis of not becoming a councillor role for the right reasons.

But Cr Sycopoulis said while it was true he did have bills and a mortgage to pay, money was not his motivation for putting his hand up for council.

"Of course it's not my motivation. No one is going to do this for nothing either," he said.

"My words were more to the effect that no one's going to stand and accept criticism for nothing."

After arriving back in Australia, Mr Kelson said he spoke to Cr Sycopoulis again and told him that he didn't want to get into an argument and he was just floating the idea.

"I said 'Look Pete, I'm only asking, I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm just asking'," he said.

And when Cr Sycopoulis won the countback, Mr Kelson said he sent a congratulatory note.

Mr Kelson said he'd asked Cr Sycopoulis to stand aside because he didn't believe that he had the "intestinal fortitude" to do what was needed and that was to make the people of Warrnambool aware of what's going on at the council.

"I wanted the goings on of the council to be made public and I knew he didn't have the guts to do it," he said.

"He's been the greatest disappointment that I've ever seen."

Mr Kelson also accused Cr Sycopoulis of saying that if he'd stepped aside it would destroy his political aspirations.

Cr Sycopoulis said if he had stood aside in the byelection it would not have been a good look to then turn around and run for election in October.

"You don't step aside. You follow the will of the people, otherwise you're treating the community with contempt," he said.

Neither Mr Kelson or Cr Sycopoulis have announced whether they intend to contest the October 24 election.

Read more:

Vote them all out

Sycopoulis wins vote countback

Will Kelson make a comeback?

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