By-elections triggered by last month's resignations by Ward 1 independent Robert Stock and Ward 2 Greens representative Geordie Williamson will be held on November 15 and cost the council an estimated $175,000.
Councillors lined up to label the pair's resignations as "costly dummy spits" when they debated the issue at last Tuesday's council meeting.
Ward 4 Clr Anton Von Schulenburg said elected candidates "have to be prepared to serve the full term on council" unless there were reasonable grounds to resign, like a serious illness or injury or employment, family or legal reasons.
"It seems they resigned as they were unable to get their way on council - they sort of spat the dummy," Clr Von Schulenburg said.
"The councillors did indicate they were concerned about council's financial position [but] adding an extra $175,000 to our costs is a funny way to show it.
"That's $175,000 we have got less to spend on roads or footpaths."
Clr Romola Hollywood said "the community when they go out to vote [in the by-elections] needs to remember that this is an unnecessary expense".
For Clr Don McGregor, the upcoming by-elections will be about how council can protect features in its draft Local Environment Plan 2013 such as character housing zones.
But he did say the financial sustainability strategy adopted by council is "currently working and addressing all of those financial issues the council's challenged with - they were the issues that we debated on, not what some ex-councillor has said".
Clr Chris Van der Kley claimed Stock and Williamson "did have influence" on council which they have now relinquished.
"They made a commitment to the community that they would serve for four years and they didn't - it's a broken promise to the community of the Blue Mountains to the sum of about $175,000," he said.
The Gazette sought responses from Mr Stock and Mr Williamson but they declined to comment.
