ARARAT Rural City’s mayor for 2017-18 will be Cr Glenda McLean following a statutory meeting vote on Tuesday evening.
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Cr McLean’s victory was met with verbal and physical protest from Crs Jo Armstrong and Paul Hooper, who both walked out of the meeting following the result.
Cr Hooper, mayor for the previous term, later resigned as a councillor.
Cr Gwenda Allgood was voted in as deputy mayor unopposed after a motion was passed to maintain the leadership position for 2017-18.
Cr McLean said Ararat Rural City councillors had faced a difficult few months.
“We must build on the structures and the goodwill that has occurred in this community for the last 15 years,” she said.
Cr Darren Ford nominated Cr McLean for Mayor while Cr Armstrong has nominated Cr Hooper
Cr Peter Beales nominated himself.
Cr Hooper had intended to take up another term if offered the opportunity by fellow councillors.
“We have got a rating strategy to do, there is significant amount of work to be done in the financial sustainability of council,” Cr Hooper said before the meeting.
“These things were identified in the commission of inquiry report.
Cr McLean’s nomination in and of itself prompted Cr Armstrong to speak out, asking a question of Ararat Rural City chief executive Allan Bawden who was at that stage the temporary chair of the meeting.
“Is the nomination of Cr McLean considered a dilatory part of the motion?” Cr Armstrong said.
Mr Bawden said any councillor could nominate for mayor and “there is no barrier to Cr McLean being nominated”.
“Even though Cr McLean is currently subject to code of conduct proceedings?” Cr Armstrong said.
Mr Bawden said that was still no barrier but “good governance would suggest you put such matters behind you when seeking such an office”.
Cr McLean is currently involved in a dispute resolution process over code of conduct complaints about her behaviour towards public gallery members and senior Ararat Rural City staff.
Cr McLean was then voted in as mayor with the support of Crs Darren Ford, David Pettman, McLean and Allgood.
Cr Armstrong voted for Cr Hooper to have another term of mayor, as did Cr Hooper.
Cr Peter Beales voted for himself.
There was an audible reaction from some in the public gallery when it became immediately clear that Cr McLean had the votes to secure victory in the first round of votes.
There was also applause from the public gallery for Cr McLean.
Cr Armstrong then asked to be excused from the meeting,
“I cant participate in this meeting with the election of Cr McLean as mayor at this point of time,” she said.
“I have really serious concerns about the good governance of this council.
“It flies in the face of community trust.”
Cr Allgood called for a point of order for Cr Armstrong to resume her seat.
Cr Armstrong said she would instead leave the meeting and did so, as did Cr Hooper.
Some public gallery members also left the council chamber, denouncing the meeting as a “waste of time”, a “disgrace” and an “absolute debacle” as they went.
Cr Ford nominated for Ararat to have a deputy mayor position in 2017-18, which was seconded by Cr Pettman. Cr Allgood also supported the motion.
Cr Ford nominated Cr Allgood for deputy mayor and she was elected with no opponents.
In her first address to councillors as mayor elect for 2017-18, Cr McLean referred to her personal struggles both as an elected representative and in her past.
“I’d like to thank the support of the four councillors who have voted for me,” she said.
“I think it would be fair to say under normal circumstances I’d be standing here thanking Paul Hooper, who I believe has acquitted himself effectively as mayor for many years, and he has achieved a lot for making our presence known outside the Ararat municipality and in the corridors of power.
“I am grateful for the contribution he has made supported ably by the previous council, in particular retired councilors who are no longer with us but are in this room.”
Cr McLean then turned to her personal experience and how it would affect her role.
“It is incumbent on me to talk about how difficult is has been in this council and in this community this year,” she said.
“The rating strategy and the issues around chief executives and governance has flushed out some issues around community wellbeing and the community thoughts of local government that have been present, possibly since the 1995 amalgamation.
“There’s a lot of pain an hurt out there and I certainly felt it though the sort of letters sent in through the community.”
Cr McLean then referenced Ararat Rural City’s highly contested proposal to abolish differential rates discounts for farmers, which was a trigger for a state government commission of inquiry.
“I’m a proud farming person myself, I know how farmers think and work,and I was distraught to receive those sorts of letters and I felt I was trying to do the right thing,” she said.
“A lot of mistakes have been made, as pointed out by the Minister for Local Government, a lot of hurt and pain in the way the deliberation occurred.
“There are so many lessons to take on board for the council administration and councillors in regard to our future opportunities to serve the community together.”
Cr McLean pointed to council community satisfaction surveys, which showed declining results in Ararat over the years.
Cr McLean said there was some work to do with community consultation in developing a new rating strategy and in other issues like road conditions.
“I believe there is goodwill in the staff, I believe the strength and expertise in our municipal monitor and our chief executive will take us through this difficult period in the next couple of years,” she said,
“They were appointed for their strength and skills and frankness and honesty in channeling back to us feedback on our way of working in a way that benefits the whole community.
“They have an excellent background for maturing us a council.”
Cr McLean said that Ararat Rural City had experienced that same rockiness of other councils when a significant number of new councillors were inducted.
Cr McLean said she believed the Local Government Minister had concerns about new councillors “getting their training wheels going”.
“The last thing I want to say is something really personal: I am a survivor of family violence.” Cr McLean said.
“I lived with this family violence on a farm for 40 years and I dealt with the outcomes and the repercussion of that and the damage to my family, my neighbours and other people in my life.
“It has caused damage for me that means I’m feisty, that I’m gun-shy. that I’ll often say things and get jumpy about what’s ahead for me.
“But what it has given me is a passionate desire to look after the underdog and a clear desire to look after those who cannot speak.”
Cr McLean said she and Cr Allgood received “remarkable support” around Ararat after the commission of inquiry report made findings against them.
Cr McLean said she did not have discretion over the current rates strategy but wanted to revisit the process of examining changes.
“I won’t be single issue mayor and i’m really grateful for the support of councillors who have had a difficult time this year.
“People didn’t sign on to have these difficulties as councillors, but we have to work together and I’m keen to do so,” she said.
The live blog will update automatically. Glenda McLean has been voted mayor for 2017-18.