A referendum on increasing the number of Shellharbour City councillors and having a mayor elected by the community is one step closer after two mayoral minutes from Marianne Saliba were narrowly endorsed on Tuesday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
At the same time a call for a referendum on the controversial Shellharbour City Hub project was once again rejected.
Cr Saliba's two mayoral minutes called for reports on the costs and processes involved in holding referendums on the issue of a popularly elected mayor and raising the number of councillors.
Before Shellharbour City Council was sacked in 2008, the council had 12 councillors who represented six wards, plus a mayor elected by the people.
When the council was reinstated in 2011, the number of councillors was slashed from 13 to seven, wards were abolished and the mayor is now elected each September by councillors.
On Tuesday night councillors voted 4-3 to endorse Cr Saliba's mayoral minutes.
Councillors Helen Stewart and Kellie Marsh strongly opposed having a popularly elected mayor, Cr Stewart's opinion based on her previous experience and Cr Marsh because the issue only appeared to be "in the best interests of the Mayor and the ALP".
Cr Peter Moran and Deputy Mayor Paul Rankin both said they had no firm views on which system worked best.
Cr Moran said he felt the current arrangement was serving the council well and voted against the mayoral minute to save money on reports.
However, Cr Rankin said he wanted to see what the report had to say and voted with the three Labor councillors in support of the recommendation.
When it came to increasing the number of councillors, Cr Saliba said it was important to have an odd number, but said there was no intention to go back to a ward system.
Meantime, Cr Marsh's call for a referendum on the City Hub project was rejected 5-2.
Cr Marsh said the Joint Regional Planning Panel's conditional approval and decision to add conditions to the parking component of the project would increase the hub's overall price tag and it was time the community had their say.
The rejection comes as an 11,500 signature petition is due to be debated in the NSW Parliament on Thursday evening.
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson tabled the Stop The Hub Community Group's petition in the Legislative Assembly in August.
