A third of the City of Melville council to run for mayor at October local government elections

At least a third of George Gear’s City of Melville council are vowing to take him on for the top job at this year’s council elections. Karen Wheatland, Jane Edinger, Nicholas Pazolli and ex-mayor Katy Mair this week publicly declared their intent to oust the incumbent mayor, each saying they were a better option for both serving the community and improving the image of a politically-charged council that has courted controversy for years. “I want to be mayor to reconcile, to bring people back together, to be that person to lead the city into the future and in a direction that’s united because we can’t keep going the way we are going,” Cr Wheatland said. Cr Edinger, a councillor since 2021, said “good governance” was the driving force behind her campaign. “Since (I was elected to council) I have not been super comfortable with the performance of the mayor and I feel that I am capable of stepping up and fulfilling the role very capably,” she said. “One of my passions is good governance and I believe that the city has fallen down in their governance capabilities for a variety of reasons. I think the Weir report really shone a light in relation to building governance and there are still issues occurring in that sphere that shouldn’t be occurring.” For his part, Mr Gear — who was a Federal MP throughout Labor’s Hawke and Keating governments long before he dethroned long-time Melville mayor Russell Aubrey in 2021 — wants to retain the mayoral chains for at least a second term. The council has had a rocky past few years, culminating in a written warning from the Department of Local Government urging it to clean up its dysfunctional “governance practices”. A review of how the city handled complaints about building and planning issues revealed poor behaviour on both sides of the argument, a “toxic” relationship with a prolific complainant and a number of battles in council over how much of the Weir Report should be made public. There was also considerable community backlash early in Mr Gear’s term for handing Melville Bowling Club an eye-watering 50-year lease, a matter that divided councillors over several long drawn-out discussions. “There are always challenges and not only from within council,” Mr Gear told PerthNow. “They come from our community, from within the administration as well as other levels of government. “I have managed these effectively over the last three-and-a-half years by working with councillors and staff in a respectful and non-confrontational style. “I have allowed plenty of time for all views to be considered and have stressed the value of every elected member to arrive at a decision based on their values, life experiences and the sentiments of the ratepayers in their wards: to think independently.” Cr Mair, who was Melville’s mayor for 12 years before Mr Aubrey, told PerthNow she was feeling pulled back to the role because of a perception the city had “lost our way serving our community”. “A recent investigation by the Department of Local Government highlighted issues such as inappropriate questioning of staff by council members, inappropriate council member motions and increasing costs for legal advice and legal services to name a few,” Cr Mair said. “I want to see a better working relationship between council officers, elected members and the community. That will ensure the community will be better served with a more responsive council. “I want to create vibrant public open spaces for everyone to enjoy and I particularly want to ensure there is enough for our future higher-density living. I also want assistance for seniors and people with disabilities because they are valuable contributors to our community.” Also throwing his name in the hat is Cr Pazolli, another long-serving councillor with more than a decade’s representation on his resume. “I will be nominating for the position of mayor in the 2023 October elections based on my acknowledged character and integrity in 16 years of local government experience, and my extensive financial experience and expertise,” Cr Pazolli said. Despite a day job working for Bateman MLA Kim Giddens and her experience as a councillor, Cr Wheatland said she does not believe politics has a place in local government. “As a mayor and a local government representative, your job is for the people, it shouldn’t have anything to do with politics,” she said. Cr Wheatland has strongly championed reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous peoples and hopes that as mayor, if elected, she can encourage reconciliation between council, staff and community. “We’ve gone through all this unrest and everyone’s been divided and I believe that I can bring people back together,” she said. “I can bring people to the table that haven’t had a seat before. “We need to stop fighting and we need to work together because everyone in this city, including the council and staff, deserves it. If we can come together in reconciliation, imagine where will go in the future.” Like Cr Edinger, she said will campaign for increased green cover in the city and environmental protection.