A tied vote in the race for Indigo Shire mayor has meant Cr Bernard Gaffney has been appointed to the job over Cr Larry Goldsworthy, thanks to drawing the right envelope out of a bowl.
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Cr Gaffney was supported by councillors Barb Murdoch and Sophie Price, and Cr Goldsworthy by Diane Shepheard and James Trenery.
Earlier, former mayor Jenny O’Connor pulled out of the race and immediately went on leave, citing a need to focus on her campaign for the Victorian election.
Her absence meant the vote was tied 3-3 and the tiebreaker was needed.
Cr Gaffney’s envelope contained the word “successful”.
Cr Barb Murdoch was elected unanimously as deputy mayor.
Cr Gaffney last night said he would be a full time and “fully inclusive mayor” who believes “there is more to tourism than just cycling”.
“The mayor should represent the entire shire and have a holistic approach to Indigo Shire, the mayor should not be seen to favour one town over another,” he said.
“We are an achieving and functioning council, I want this to continue.”
His election makes this his third stint as mayor, after he was elected in 2010 and 2014, and he said he was older and wiser, but still had federal and state government contacts where he hoped doors could open with strong advocacy.
We are an achieving and functioning council, I want this to continue.
- Mayor Bernard Gaffney
“I would like to thank Jenny O’Connor, she’d go very close to being the best mayor I’ve worked under over the last 10 years,” Cr Gaffney said.
“She’s sincere, she’s intelligent, she’s led this council very well, she’s made this council function when a lot of people said we wouldn’t be functional – we come from very different areas with different beliefs.”
Cr O’Connor chose to not re-contest for mayor following controversy over her plan to hold the position while also running as an independent candidate for Benambra.
She told The Border Mail when launching her campaign she would step down as mayor from October 30.
But that changed in the past week because Cr O’Connor said “there are a number of councillors who have asked me to do so”.
In a statement released at 12.40pm yesterday, she confirmed she had stepped aside from 6am.
“I would like to thank my fellow councillors and the residents of Indigo Shire over the past two years,” she said.
“During my time as mayor we made Indigo Shire a better place to live and stood up for our residents.”
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