KANGAROO Flat Ward councillor David Jones will take over as mayor on December 4, but his election has once again been controversial.
Cr Jones was elected mayor-elect behind closed doors on Wednesday night, although not all councillors were happy about it.
Eppalock Ward councillor Greg Williams walked out of the meeting before the vote was held, citing concerns over the process.
The council met earlier in the night to discuss the way to go ahead with the vote, by appointing two council staff members and a councillor as scrutineers.
However, Cr Williams believed council staff should be taken out of the process, and objected.
“The majority of the councillors were happy with the compromise I put up,” he said.
However, the mayor was so pig-headed that she wouldn’t compromise.”
Mayor Julie Rivendell rejected that claim and said the council just didn’t want Cr Williams.
“It is accurate that Cr Williams asked to be a scrutineer of the mayor-elect process and that myself and other councillors weren’t comfortable with that,” she said.
“Councillors have both personal and collective responsibility and councillors need to earn the respect and trust of their colleagues.”
Cr Rivendell said Cr Williams did not have that.
“I wasn’t comfortable with Cr Williams being the scrutineer for that process,” she said.
“Cr Williams decided not to be part of the main discussion and the process.”
Cr Williams said he was concerned the process was not accountable.
“The power group has been fiddling with the system every year, but have not been prepared to put the system to public scrutiny,” he said.
“Why do they have to manipulate the system behind the scenes and not be prepared to cement these rules by voting on them in an ordinary council meeting and having them open to public scrutiny.”
Cr Jones said he was “absolutely delighted” to be chosen as the mayor elect.
“I’m looking forward to the next 12 months and I think my previous mayoral term will help me to do the best possible job that I can,” he said.
“I learnt so much during my first term in 2006 and I’m looking forward to using that experience to take the city forward.
“The next 12 months will be all about getting back to basics and providing excellent services to residents.
“I believe residents want council to concentrate on our core business of roads, rates and rubbish and I’ll be doing all I can to make sure this happens.”