The people will not decide how the Goulburn Mulwaree mayor is elected in six years' time.
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It might be a way off but a majority of councillors put paid to the very notion at their meeting on Tuesday night.
In a report, former general manager Warwick Bennett recommended that a constitutional referendum be held at the 2024 council election asking people whether they wanted to elect the mayor or let councillors decide.
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The latter system has applied to Goulburn Mulwaree and its predecessors, Goulburn City and Mulwaree Shires for many years. If the referendum endorsed popular election it would have applied at the 2028 council poll.
But only former mayor Bob Kirk and Crs Prevedello and Dan Strickland supported a referendum.
It came amid spirited debate about the pros and cons.
Cr Prevedello said people had told him they'd like a popularly elected mayor.
"I think we should accede their way...This is about letting people decide (the question)," he said.
Cr Kirk said it should be no surprise that many voters had also raised the matter with him. He topped the poll by a significant margin at the December election.
But he told colleagues he was never a fan of this system.
"I personally think the no case outweighs the yes but it is not about my opinion...It's about representing people," he said.
Cr Kirk argued that increasingly, councils were opting for popular election of their leader. At the last poll, referendums in Bega, Wagga Wagga and Ryde favoured the change. Wagga's was only by a slim margin and might not proceed but the others would apply in 2021. In 2016, Dungog, Shellharbour and Wollondilly Councils allowed the people to decide in 2021, following referendums in 2016.
'What if Archie were mayor?'
Cr Andrew Banfield opposed the idea. He cited the example of Archie Hancock, "a colourful character" best known for collecting aluminium cans from garbage bins, who was elected to Goulburn City Council in the 1980s.
"I'm sure I recall him getting the popular vote and he could have been our mayor. Being the good person he was and although colourful for the town, I don't think he would have made a very good mayor," he said.
"...By going down this road you open yourself to someone being elected by the community because they like the person but they might not have any leadership skills or knowledge of the job itself and what's involved in being the mayor of a major regional city."
Under the NSW Local Government Act, the person could not be removed unless they resigned or died.
Cr Banfield also argued that candidates with major campaign funding could also sway voters' support but again, not necessarily have the requisite skills.
If a referendum proceeded, two ballot papers would apply at the 2028 election - one to elect councillors and another to choose the mayor. Candidates for the top job would have to nominate themselves. They would not necessarily have to run for both roles.
Crs Banfield and Andy Wood and Peter Walker who did not want to subject a future council to a potential popular mayoral vote when they wouldn't have input.
Cr Wood maintained the two ballot papers would simply confuse people.
"Having waded through the last election I could probably count on two hands if I'm lucky the number of people who actually understood what they were doing," he said.
"Council elections are extremely confusing just electing the members...I'm not suggesting people lack understanding or capability but I'm not sure we need to muddy the waters and introduce another layer of voting..."
In addition, councillors could end up with a mayor who was "universally disliked" by councillors.
But Cr Prevedello argued that people did understand the process and they were not being given enough credit.
Cr Jason Shepherd asked why Tuesday's report was put up at all.
"This was a political matter raised by a general manager who is supposed to be apolitical. Where did it come from?" he asked.
Mr Bennett told The Post last week that "the current mayor" had requested the report. Cr Walker said he didn't but it could have emerged from his comment at January's mayoral election.
He had told that meeting the person with most votes at December's general election did not automatically secure the top job. At the time, he defended his right to run as mayor, arguing it was "within the rules" and if councillors wanted to change it they could.
Acting general manager Brendan Hollands pointed out that general managers had the right to propose matters but it was up to councillors to decide.
Put to the vote, Crs Walker, Banfield, James, Steve Ruddell, Andy Wood and Jason Shepherd were against, while Crs Kirk, Strickland and Prevedello were in favour.
It's not the first time the matter has arisen. In the early 2000s the former Goulburn City Council agreed to hold a referendum at the ensuing poll asking people which mayoral selection method preferred. This never went ahead due to the 2004 amalgamation with Mulwaree Shire.
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Goulburn Mulwaree councillors again voted down the idea in September, 2013 under then mayor, Geoff Kettle. This was despite the state's Future Directions for Local Government paper concluding that "councils with populations of more than 20,000 should have a popularly elected mayor."
Since 2004, those councillors who topped the poll at the general election have served subsequently as mayor. These include Paul Stephenson, Carol James, Geoff Kettle and Bob Kirk.
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Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
