WEEKS of campaigning will end in Albury on Saturday when ratepayers decide who will fill the city’s nine council seats.
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We know there will definitely be two new faces with the distinguished former mayor Patricia Gould having resigned earlier this year and pizzeria proprietor Daryl Betteridge deciding not to recontest after having served since 2008.
The big question is how will the swag of votes that accrued to Mrs Gould in past elections be dispersed.
Combined with the labyrinthine preference system in the NSW local government electoral system it will be intriguing to witness where the ballots go and how they trickle.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the vote will be how the Greens’ campaign fares.
It is the first time the party has had a formal team contest an Albury poll.
With the Greens Farrer federal election candidate Amanda Cohn heading the ticket they have run a positive campaign with the promotion of live streaming of council meetings and increasing bus services.
The Kevin Mack ticket has also been willing to show some blue sky thinking with a push for a Murray River caravan park and houseboats on Lake Hume.
Others have been more low key with promises, instead offering their experience on council as a reason to vote for them.
The future of swimming pools in Albury remains a pivot point for candidates and the success of those pro or anti a Lauren Jackson aquatics centre will help determine its fate.
Labor ticket leader Darren Cameron has been determined in his opposition to what he has regularly labelled a “chlorinated palace of Versailles”.
He portrays himself as a guardian of fiscal frugality, but it would be good if he could occasionally offer some positivity.
Albury has seen a flourishing in gourmet culture over the past four years, the Volt Lane precinct enlivened, a new Lavington library and the MAMA gallery.
The botanic gardens and Murray River precinct are among the most attractive areas you could find in a regional city.
A new council should continue to foster the advantages of Albury and lobby governments where needed for the city’s fair share.
Of course that does not mean ratepayers should be used as an easy cash cow.
Balancing the books, assets and needs of citizens is integral to good municipal leadership.