2 August 2022
All this week we are celebrating Local Government Week and I think it's an important opportunity to talk about my role as mayor and the responsibilities of our elected council.
The mayor focuses on the policy directions of local government, not the day-to-day operations or administration, as that is the role of the CEO.
My role as mayor is to facilitate the decision making process of council; which then enables council officers to implement them for the benefit of our community.
Some of my responsibilities include:
- to be the leader of the council and a leader in the local community
- preside as chairperson at meetings of the council
- ensuring that meetings of the council are conducted efficiently, effectively and in accordance with the code of meeting practice
- represent the views of the council and local community
- represent the local government at civic or ceremonial functions.
I work alongside eight other elected colleagues, called councillors, whose role it is to advance the interests of the community through strategic planning and prioritising issues of importance.
We meet once a month, sometimes more depending on the priority of certain projects or issues, and we resolve items that are then actioned by the council administration through the CEO.
It is truly a privilege to hold the office of mayor, which is the highest title of recognition for our region. The first mayor took office on 23 May 1887, 135 years ago.
Since that time there have been 55 mayors in our region with 54 of them being men.
It is important to note that the mayor is not a person but rather a civic role, yet the person elected to the role is placed there by our community as a spokesperson and representative of the council.
I have enormous respect for the office of mayor, the history behind it and the responsibility that comes with it and I personally have an expectation that respect is offered at all times to the office of Mayor.
I think it is so important that our community understands how the political arm of our council works, and the roles that I, the Deputy Mayor and Councillors play to help promote our region and keep it thriving.
For more information about the role and responsibility of local governments more generally, visit
https://www.lgnsw.org.au/Public/Public/Events/Local_Government_Week.aspx
