The usual form for a local election is to go for the one name you may have heard of, amongst a page full of candidates you’ve never heard of.

In my travels about the state this month, I’ve noticed that propaganda for the local elections is running on all forms of media.

Times have sure changed.

I can recall once not knowing about a local council election until I drove by the voting booths and wondered what the sausage sizzle was about. I like this saturation of the election by local media.

It brings the community into the decision making by being more aware of the candidates’ election platforms.

However, the candidates are all touting more or less the same platform for election, and without knowing any of them personally, how will I know who will deliver? Keeping Verner street open, getting a university here, attracting service providers, a fast train and a performing arts venue.

All very good reasons to vote.

Top of everyone’s agenda seems to be keeping Verner St open, and sure this is important from a heritage point of view and a vote grabbing angle, but coming up with a sure fire strategy to attract service providers to Goulburn will get my attention.

For this to happen we need to vote for someone who is capable of swaying the thinking of their council cohort, especially when it comes to voting on change.

Although sadly we know this will not be the case, as previous councillors revealed in interviews with the Goulburn Post, it takes some time to find your feet in the job.

By then it’s voting time again just as things start to take shape, and action on election promises has finally started to happen.

So where does this leave us as voters? Stay with the current councillors at let them finish what they started or bring in fresh faces with new enthusiasm and modern ideas? Who should I vote for? Somehow I need to use my vote responsibly.

On one hand I am trying to read between the lines with what the current serving councillors have had to say, to try to work out what is really going to happen for Goulburn.

And on the other I have to consider the fresh ideas brought to the table by the new candidates, at the same time knowing it may be years before their promises can be kept.

A split of old and new faces on the council has to be the way to go. Both sides will have much to offer to the other.

Although this revelation has not solved my who to vote for conundrum - and with that I will see you at the sausage sizzle.