West of Blacktown City Council Wins Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral Elections!

 
The Blacktown City Council Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral elections were held tonight with quite astounding results and rewarding for the future.

Whilst the gallery of the Blacktown City Council Council Chambers was standing room outside, the gallery was excitedly anticipating the result of the dual election.

Elected Mayor Councillor Stephen Bali

So with two candidate nominations for Mayor, being  Labor Party Councillor Stephen Bali and Liberal Party Councillor Jess Diaz. The result of the newly elected Mayor was Labor Party Councillor Stephen Bali: 8 votes to 7.

Elected Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson

And so with two candidate nominations for Deputy Mayor, being Independent Councillors Russ Dickens and Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson. No Councillors from any party were nominated. The  result of the newly elected Deputy Mayor was Independent Councillor, Jacqueline Donaldson: 8 votes to 7.

The re-elected Mayor, Councillor Stephen Bali 'Thanked the community, his fellow Councillors and Officers of Blacktown City Council and most importantly his mother'.

The newly elected Deputy Mayor, Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson explained, 'That she is a true community advocate in the Blacktown City Council and wants to see our city develop into
a great city of the future!'

After the elections Councillor Jess Diaz was about to protest about Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson's leaving of the Liberal Party and voting for the  elected Mayor. The gallery came to mostly an uproar, as there was 'Heat of moment words' against Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson for the result of the election tonight.   Because of the gallery's uproar, I could not hear the rest of  Councillor Jess Diaz was saying.

 Mayor Councillor Stephen Bali approached this situation calmly and correctly with respect to possible personal attacks to Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson and explained himself, Councillor Donaldson, Smith had just attended 'Awareness of domestic violence against women meeting'. Mayor, Councillor Bali had  asked Councillor Jess Diaz to leave the room, unless he apologised. No apology was forthcoming then, so he left the chambers.

A motion was raised by Councillor Atalla against Councillor Diaz's recent speech and this was defeated, as it was brought up by Councillor Karlo Siljeg that during 2012 and 2013, the then Labor opposition Councillors were purposely ensuring Council General and Committee meetings were going into overtime. They were ending by 1-3am. He suggested that a lot of Councillors and Council Officers had to go to work on the same day, causing Workplace Health and Safety issues like fatigue and affecting full time jobs and stress to all Councillors. In 2013 he moved a motion that Council meetings must finish business by 11pm, which has since been passed by Council and adopted as policy.

The meeting was adjourned and when resumed Councillor Diaz provided an apology after he was asked by Mayor Stephen Bali.

You thought Federal politics was exciting, Blacktown City Council is local politics is really exciting!

Congratulations to Mayor, Councillor Stephen Bali (Ward 4) and Deputy, Councillor Mayor Jacqueline Donald (Ward 5). Community members in Mount Druitt have a strong community advocate in Ward 4 of Councillor Stephen Bali (who fought hard against Struggle Street) and a slightly stronger local community advocate in ward 5, Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson. We will see how they go from here and make Blacktown LGA a great place to live in!