In 20 years as a Wollongong councillor, Janice Kershaw has seen some turbulent times at Wollongong City Council but some things haven't changed.
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"A vast majority of residents don't care about our visions, they don't care about our missions, our corporate plans or our budgets," she said, celebrating two decades on the job this week.
"They care about their own patch: their roads, local footpaths, parks that are mowed, that there's decent playground equipment, that their garbage is picked up and that a development does not occur near them that impacts on their lives."
The Labor councillor was first elected to the council in 1991, and has served on it ever since - save for the three years after councillors were sacked following the 2008 Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry.
Her longevity was recognised at Monday night's meeting, with fellow Labor councillor David Brown - a long time colleague - saying she had been "a fine example of what it takes to be a successful councillor".
A member of her party's right wing, Cr Kershaw has represented the city's northern suburbs under four different lord mayors.
In the 1999 council elections, she made her own short-lived tilt at the top position but stepped aside to make way for George Harrison, who was eventually elected lord mayor.
Cr Kershaw became Mr Harrison's deputy.
She once again decided not to run for the top job in the next set of elections but, in 2004, was re-elected to the council which would eventually be sacked by the NSW government after ICAC found evidence of systemic corruption.
Cr Kershaw and Cr Brown were the only two Labor councillors not named in the ICAC hearings.
Reflecting on 20 years in local government, she named the sacking of the council as one of the most "devastating things that had an impact on my life".
The 1998 Wollongong floods and the premature death of her father from cancer had also been devastating, she said in a speech to the council.
Her proudest achievements were the Balgownie bike track for children, street revitalisation in East Corrimal and Balgownie, a new toilet block in Towradgi, upgrade of Bellambi and Towradgi pools and retaining the suburb name Tarrawanna.
