ALBURY Council has broken with tradition and allowed former mayor Kevin Mack to remain its delegate on the Riverina and Murray Regional Organisation of Councils ahead of its annual meeting on Friday.
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The mayor of the day has been Albury's representative on RAMROC with the deputy mayor the alternative delegate.
Cr Mack stepped down as mayor last month, but has indicated a preference to remain on RAMROC after being elected its deputy chairman 12 months ago.
The matter was brought before this week's engineering and works committee by new mayor Henk van de Ven as a matter of urgent business and was passed with only Cr Alice Glachan speaking against the move.
She said the status quo should remain so the mayor could keep abreast of all issues surrounding the Fit for the Future reform.
"The bigger picture at this particularly time is so much more important than RAMROC," she said.
"The current mayor is the delegate to other organisations and represents our council at a much higher level than we as councillors do.
"I believe it will be to the detriment of our council to make change."
RAMROC is presently playing the role of conduit between seven councils in the southern Riverina including Corowa facing mergers and the NSW Government.
Cr van de Ven said Cr Mack remaining as the RAMROC delegate would provide Albury with "continuity".
Jerilderie-based councillor and former mayor Terry Hogan has been the RAMROC chairman since its inception in 2008.
Cr van de Ven said he had every intention of meeting other obligations in his role of mayor.
"It is Albury's turn to chair the inland forum and also Evocities and I have every intention of meeting those commitments," he said.
"I attended the country mayors meeting last week and have every intention of continuing in that role.
"Albury is past the amalgamation stage and I don't expect anything to happen in that space.
"Cr Mack's two years experience as the deputy chairman of RAMROC and being mentored by a (former) mayor who has a very high standing within local government spheres stands us in good stead."
