Nelson City Councillor Eric Davy says he was offended by a post that appeared on colleague Matt Lawrey's personal Facebook page.

A Nelson councillor has been accused of "dirty and dumb politics" after distributing an anonymous flyer that says a colleague and election rival believes the elderly are "useless and have no place in society".

Councillor Eric Davy, who is standing for re-election, has admitted distributing the flyer that targets councillor Matt Lawrey over a comment a friend made on his personal Facebook page.

However, Davy said he had "no idea" where the flyer originated.

"I don't really care who's behind it, the fact Eric is distributing it really concerns me," Lawrey said.

"It's not just dirty politics. It's dumb politics."

The flyer features a photo of Lawrey and a comment posted on Facebook by Nelson photographer Jose Cano on August 11.

In the post, Cano said after a "long chat" with Lawrey, who is also standing for re-election, he had an important message for the young people of Nelson.

"Please don't let people over 65 decide your future," Cano wrote.

He said young people needed to vote in the upcoming local government election "or you risk your future being decided by people that has nothing to do with you, your interest and your future".

The Facebook post that was used in the flyer:

At the bottom of the flyer, someone wrote: "A real interesting message for the elderly. Basically says we are useless and have no place in society."

Lawrey said he was alerted to the flyer on Monday by "concerned members of the public" who saw it in Smugglers Pub and Cafe in Tahunanui.

"I was quite shocked really, and disappointed because politics is not always a walk in the park but for someone to resort to this sort of propaganda I think it's actually quite dark."

He said that the flyer appeared to have been designed to make people think he had something against the elderly which was "completely untrue and a pretty horrible claim to make".

"I love the elderly. I'm on my way to being elderly."

Davy said he took the anonymous flyer into Smugglers and a Nelson retirement home last week.

However, he said he didn't create it. "If I'm going to say something I will say it and I will put my name to it. I have the guts to do that."

He said he was offended by Cano's Facebook post and the fact that it appeared on Lawrey's page suggested that he "must believe in what was said".

Lawrey was tagged in the post and 'liked' it, but didn't share it.

Davy said he was 67 when he left the police, has been "fighting for the city for 12 years" and always supported youth projects.

"I've got grandkids in this bloody city. I'm interested in my kids' future, my grandkids' future."

Lawrey was one of seven councillors who voted to remove Davy from the council's regional transport committee in December last year following allegations that he interfered in the government's Southern Link investigation.

Davy said Lawrey had made accusations against him in the past.

"To call him a colleague when he's on the different side of the fence to me on many matters, no, I don't accept that."