Leaked emails reveal the tension between Wellington City Council boss Kevin Lavery and councillor Simon Woolf

The correspondence came in the lead-up to a code of conduct investigation into Woolf, which is ongoing.

It's understood the investigation centres around Woolf wading into staffing employment matters with comments made in the media.

In the emails, Woolf accused Lavery of "spin" and a "lack of good judgement", while Lavery accuses the councillor of creating inferences in the media that "could not be further from the truth".

Woolf now says there should be a process in place and what's happening at the moment is completely unprofessional.

Lavery is declining to comment on the matter.