Time to ‘end’ mayor vote debate

Two Rockingham councillors say it’s inevitable the City will one day have a popularly-elected mayor but they want a dollar-saving decision not a big-bucks referendum. With a $250,000 referendum into whether the mayor position should be popularly elected on the table, Cr Hayley Edwards and Cr Sally Davies are calling for a “more efficient” way of dealing with the item. At last week’s council meeting they officially lodged a motion for debate at this month’s meeting that councillors make the decision to change the method of filling the office of mayor rather than spend ratepayer money on “costly” referendum options. A report into the estimated costs associated with the change was revealed off the back of councillors’ unanimous support for Cr Craig Buchanan’s motion to fully cost a public vote. The report identified two options — one almost 10 times the price of the other. The first is a standalone referendum, which could potentially allow the public’s decision to be implemented in time for the 2021 election, but comes with a hefty $250,000 price tag. Meanwhile a $25,000 option, if supported, would be included as part of the 2021 elections ballot papers, but it would push the change out to 2023. Councillors have considered changing the method of electing the mayor on three occasions in the past eight years, but each time they voted to retain the status quo. Cr Edwards, pictured, said the popularly elected mayor method was “inevitable” and it would be more efficient to “implement the change now”. “I am supportive of our current mayor (Barry Sammels. . . but if we don’t make a decision now it will come up again in a year and then another year and another,” she said. The way in which the top job is decided was a major topic for residents and candidates during October’s council election campaign — where Rockingham electors gave the nod to five first-time councillors following their pledges to implement change. While Cr Edwards said she strongly believed there were pros and cons with both methods of electing the mayor, the change would enable growth and engagement within the community. “This has been a topic for many years . . . we do not want to spend further funds on a referendum and waste City officer’s time,” she said. “I think we need to put an end to this item and move on so we can focus on the strategic performance of the City.” The motion is set for debate at this month’s council meeting.

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Time to ‘end’ mayor vote debate