After a tumultuous period including the suspension and dismissal of the former general manager, Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council on Tuesday night took a "steady as she goes" approach in the mayoral elections, re-electing mayor Abb McAlister and deputy mayor Dennis Palmer for 12 months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Both positions will be open again in next year's local government elections.
Following his re-election on Tuesday, mayor Abb McAlister thanked Councillor Charlie Sheahan for standing against him.
"It's good to see that someone else wants to step up and have a go," Cr McAlister said.
"Charlie and I sat in a car last week for about 10 hours and we spoke about it, it won't change how we think about each other and work together."
Cr McAlister said it had not been easy for council staff over the past 40 months.
"When we were formed on the 17th September 2017 we had to confront a lot of issues that were not of our own making - I won't dwell on them but I really thank the staff and councillors."
Deputy mayor Dennis Palmer was re-elected, with only one other councillor, Leigh Bowden, contesting the position.
FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE MAYOR'S COMMENTS FOLLOWING HIS RE-ELECTION:
"Firstly I'd really like to thank Charlie for standing, it's a democratic process and it's good to see that someone else wants to step up and have a go.
"Charlie and I sat with each other last week for about 10 hours in a car and we spoke about it, it won't make one ounce of difference who got it, in how we think about each other and how we work together.
"So Charlie I really appreciate mate you for putting your hand up.
"Just over the last two years I'd like to really thank the community members of the CGRC all the people from the rural land, the towns the villages for their support and working with council to deliver a lot of projects and just helping out in other ways with community functions and helping us function.
"I think its extremely important that council takes the community along with them and that's what we do as a group of councillors.
"To the council staff I'd really like to thank them for their support to me and the other councillors.
"It hasn't been easy for the staff over the last 40 months.
"There's been a lot of new staff come in and old staff go, but i feel now that our staff are really starting to gel together and there's a lot of harmony coming now and we need to have good staff who work well together with the councillors and with the community to get progress.
"I'm sure that's what we're really coming to get now, and its coming together so I'd really like to thank staff for all the hard work especially Phil McMurray for taking over for the last 10 months, and also to Marianne McInerney who's been Phil's PA and also a good PA for me - she writes letters and does a great job so I'd really like to thank those two.
"But especially everyone all the staff to my fellow councillors for the support given me over the last two years and to the CGRC and the communities, I think there's a lot of good will between the councillors and we work together for the betterment of the CGRC
"When we were formed on the 17th September we had to confront many issues that weren't of our doing following what I think was a very tumultuous period 16 months period of administration.
"For us here a lot of things happened - a lot of things - we know the issues so I won't dwell on them.
"Just merging two councils to one, you know, it's something new to us, it's something new to what we had to do before as councillors, so I really thank you and I think the last two years we've actually started to work through those issues.
"Over the next 12 months I think we've really got to focus on our finances, our expenditures, revenues and our deficits while still maintaining the services at the top standard we now present to our communities.
"We need to keep our infrastructure up to date and in good order and also work in with the community and businesses and industry that we presently have in our community but also working to encourage more businesses industry large and small into our area.
"So we need to work cohesively with the community members and I think we'll get results, so once again thank-you very much to the councillors for voting me back in, I'll try to do my best.
"I've really enjoyed the last two years meeting people, especially from the Coota side.
"I had a lot of friends here before but I've certainly got a lot more friends there now, and it's a great community as Gundagai is.
"So it's been a pleasure to work. I've been enjoying this two years and I look forward to us putting in some hard work over the next 12 months so we can have something to present, so the council can really make this council go ahead after the next election."
