All three Illawarra mayors are considering running for the top job again at this year's local government elections.
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On September 14, Illawarra residents will go to the polls to elect their local representatives for the next four years.
In Wollongong and Shellharbour, voters will be able to directly elect a mayor, while in Kiama, the mayor will be chosen by the elected councillors.
After two new leaders donned the mayoral robes following the 2021 election, each mayor has expressed an interest in running again in 2024.
Wollongong
The Illawarra's longest serving mayor, Gordon Bradbery, said he was considering taking the top job in Wollongong again this year, but was yet to make a final decision.
"I'm thinking about it," Cr Bradbery said.
First elected in 2011 after the ICAC scandal, Cr Bradbery has held the title of Lord Mayor of Wollongong for over a decade, beating out challengers from the left and the right.
In his most recent term, Cr Bradbery oversaw Council's role in delivering the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong, responding to the record rains and subsequent flooding in 2022 and leading the expansion of outdoor dining in the CBD and the Council's response to the housing crisis in Wollongong.
As the council faces a challenging financial situation and a backlog of infrastructure delivery, the next mayor will face a challenging period, but one that Mr Bradbery is not shying away from, yet.
"I haven't made my mind up yet, but it's certainly on the agenda."
Kiama
At the other end of the Illawarra, Kiama mayor Neil Reilly has already had his fair share of financial headaches, and said he was hoping to lead the municipality through a relatively calmer period in the next term.
"The reason I stood this time was to correct the errors of the past, so that we would have a decent future, and I think that this council will be successful in that," he said.
"It would be nice to be part of a council that wasn't so burdened with financial uncertainty, so the temptation is great."
Unlike his counterparts in Shellharbour and Wollongong, Cr Reilly was elected by fellow councillors to the position of mayor after the 2021 election, following the retirement of former mayor Mark Honey.
Kiama Council since 2021 has been dominated by discussions on the council's financial position, with incoming CEO Jane Stroud uncovering a fiscal black hole.
The decision to sell council's aged care business Blue Haven to repair the council's finances has prompted significant opposition, but has been a decision that Cr Reilly has stuck by throughout the term.
In September 2023, fellow councillors re-elected Cr Reilly for the remainder of the term, and with an eye on the polls in September, said he had a "foot in each camp" when it came to running again.
"I'm not too keen to just walk away," he said. "We've had a hard couple of years, but by the same token, I've got to consider that there are other people who may be able to do a better job than I could."
Shellharbour
The clearest statement of intent on plans for this year's election came from Shellharbour mayor Chris Homer, who said he was "definitely" putting his hand up for mayor.
"There's no doubt about that."
Bursting on to the political scene in 2021 following the successful campaign to save Killalea, Mr Homer said it would be a different Chris Homer to the politically green candidate that stood against incumbent mayor Marianne Saliba, having also run against Anna Watson for the overlapping seat in the 2023 NSW government elections.
"I'm a far more experienced candidate nowadays."
Mr Homer cited the significant amount of infrastructure that was being delivered in his local area as testament to the work of the current council which has at times been beset by a bitter divide between Labor councillors and independents.
"It's all about consolidation and continuance for me, and continuing to work extremely hard for the community and deliver value for the ratepayer."
