Do We Need A Referendum To Elect Mayor and Deputy Mayor, In Blacktown City Council?

I would like to pose this question to our Mount Druitt community and wider community, do we need to have Referendum for future elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor at a General Council Election for Blacktown City Council?


So is the answer so easy? Do other councils do it? Is it the right thing for us to do?

Local Government Laws have recently changed to benefit Mayors and Deputy Mayors, making it stronger and closer to how State and Federal Government governments are running at present. The difference was that every year our elected 15 Councillors elected a Mayor and deputy Mayor each year. This is the term of Office for  Mayor, which is short term compared to Federal Prime Minister which needs to run its term for 3 years and a State Premier running his/her term of office for 4 years. The current laws have changed so that Mayors and Deputy Mayors of office now are for 2 consecutive years. 

Personally, I do think that a Mayor and Deputy Mayor should be elected for the same period of Councillors term of office for 4 years. That may happen one day. In fact, by have a general election of Mayor and Deputy Mayor by voters as well as the general election of Councillors, the term of office for Mayor and Deputy Mayor would be for 4 years.

How does this help our Mount Druitt area and Blacktown Local Government Area, is pretty simple. It allows the Members of Council that are in power and running the Council to establish policies and plans for the future that will benefit the community. If those policies and plans do not work then at the next General Election they may be voted out or even re-elected. 

On the negative of holding a referendum on the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, is that the referendum will cost extra money to run and so will having an election for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Also, the positive of leaving the Blacktown City Council running as it is - is the new two year elections that will exist with the new term of office for Mayor and Deputy mayor elections is 2 years. This brings that much extra job security to each office and tests to see if the these elected positions change personnel in the period of time, afterwards.

So there are some other Councils in NSW that elect their own Mayor and Deputy Mayor during a general election of voters voting: City of Sydney is one and another is Fairfield City Council and  a few Rural councils as well. Are they successful - ask them.

The negative of a four year term of a Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected at a general election, could be that for example the major Party that won the general election of Councillor numbers, may not be elected as Mayor and  even Deputy Mayor. You may have a Opposition party or even Independent Councillor, elected. So that may quash that  idea - this would cause instability. A party that wins a Local Government Election, should govern with elected Council leadership from within Council itself.

So, we will now leave it for you all to decide. What do you think?


Under the Local Government Act of 1993, thee are the basic rules when electing Mayors:

Mayor

As a general rule the councillors elect one of their number to be the Mayor. However in some councils it has been decided by referendum that the voters will elect the Mayor. Where this is the case, the Mayor is said to be 'elected by popular vote' or 'a directly elected Mayor'. In this situation the optional preferential method of voting is used.

A Mayor elected by the voters serves a 4 year term, and a Mayor elected by the other councillors serves a 2 years term.

For information on all councils including contact details visit the Local Government Directory.
After each Local Government election, the Division of Local Government surveys all councils. A report on the findings provides information about the representation of the community on local councils. As well as describing the characteristics of councillors and candidates such as gender, age and experience, the report identifies trends over time.

The Local Government New South Wales are the peak organisations for local government in NSW and councils can be members of either. These associations represent councils by:

• presenting their views to governments
• promoting local government to the community
• providing specialist advice and services.

Councilor Stephen Bali Elected Mayor and Councillor Tony Bleasedale Elected Deputy Mayor, Blacktown City Council

From Lester Pasley, Secretary of the Mount Druitt Commuters Improvement Group Inc has reported on last nights Mayoral and Deputy Mayor's election:

At the Extraordinary Meeting of Blacktown City Council held on 28th September 2016, the following nominations were received for the positions of:

Mayor
Stephen Bali, ALP Ward 4
Linda Santos, Liberal Ward 4

Deputy Mayor
Tony Bleasdale, ALP Ward 5
Peter Camilleri, Liberal Ward 5

The election was conducted by the General Manager, Mr Kerry Robinson, as the returning officer. The results were:

Stephen Bali, elected as Mayor.
Tony Bleasdale, elected as Deputy Mayor.

Both have been elected for a two year term under new changes to Section 230 of the Local Government Act 1993.

We wish Councilor Stephen Bali and Tony Bleasedale for their succes in leading the council to the right direct of community improvements for the next 2 years.

Ward 5 Councillor, Blacktown City Council, Jacqueline Donaldson Is Now Independent - True Independancy Will Show Now!

Ward 5 Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson, from Blacktown City Council has today resigned from the Liberal Party and is remaining as an Independent member of Council.

From Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson's Face Book page and new status: 

Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson

54 mins ·

It is with deep regret that I have had to resign from the Liberal Party this week. I have done so because I do not agree with the way the party policies are going, including wanting to change the name of Blacktown which I disagree with.
I am told one of my Liberal colleagues is going to try and make out that I am racist and have resigned for racist reasons
I hope those of you who know me could never believe that.

For those who don't know me as well I have attended a Filipino church for over 10 years and my daughter in law and grandson whom I love dearly are Filipino.
I sit on the Aboriginal Advisory Committee, Sponsor an orphanage in Zimbabwe, a World Vision Child in Bangladesh, regularly support events at a Pakistani Mosque at Marsden Park and have donated to many organisations that help the poor in innumerable different countries.
I come originally from London where I grew up with many people from all over the world and I learnt that it is not about where you came from but what your character is like
My prayer is that my character will speak for itself

This leaves the Blacktown City Council Elections of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the uneven balance for this month.

The current standings are 7 Labor, 6 Liberal and 2 Independent Councillors. So balance of power will be definitely with the independents as to who will be the Mayor or will Labor Party Mayor Stephen Bali be re-elected. Who knows maybe Councillor Jacqueline Donaldson, may 'throw her hat in the ring' for the Mayoral elections and gain support from all Councillors, how . would that be!

The problem with party politics is you have to vote on party lines but there are times individuals do not agree with Party line decision and power may take over. If the Councillor votes against Party lines for example on the 'Change of Blacktown City Council name', so be it. Councillors should all be working on even plains, party members with party members, whilst representing their  constituents in extreme good faith and fairness and sometimes Councillors will all agree on the favoring of issues, placing party politics aside and realising that 100% is the way to go for community improvements.

One thing we do know is Blacktown City Council will elect one Mayor and there may be more respect, kindness and talking between Councillors for the lobbying of the new Mayor!

In The Past Blacktown City Council Has Rejected Broadcasting Viewing A Live Meeting Podcasts, Maybe We Need To Join The Modern World Of Live Podcasts Now!

Placing party politics aside, we live in a highly populated Local Government Area and our Blacktown Local Government is the important Local Government Body that makes daily important decisions possibly improving our communities.

In this high technological and modern day of age, Blacktown City Council should not only consider live viewing of meetings to the General public, they could look at uploading videos of meetings as the below uploaded video on 'YouTube' or  audio Podcasts, on their own website.

The ratepayers and electors of Mount Druitt Wards 4 and 5 Blacktown City Council  (as well as the rest of Blacktown City Council) have a right to take interest and view the proceedings of Council business, even if they can't make it to Council Meetings, due to personal commitments and they would be interested to see decisions that are being made. 

Yet, if Council provides live Podcasts, our community will take better interest to local improvements in developments and or issues and be better educated with Council's decisions. Children and students learning the subject of local government will have a better understanding of proceedings and operations. 

Besides students and children, the same goes with the rest of the general public, they want to know what is happening. If and when Council agrees to this, then I'm sure that all local medias will assist the Council to spread the word, so that  viewing Podcasts can be watched live or outside of Meeting times. Consideration may also be provided for the same viewing for Committee Meetings, but at this stage not priority.

For the public to attend meetings, the seating in Blacktown City Council Chambers doesn't cover for thousands of people! This is for obvious reasons.The gallery at the Council Meetings are generally full when there is a 'hot topic' to talk about! I know I have attended a quite a few of them!

Feed back to Blacktown City Council on videos, doesn't show  the people at the main desk/table and the volume may need to be turned up for recording!

 Live Podcasts has been rejected by Council before, maybe this could be overturned and it will show that Councilors are passionate to their constituents, allowing to understand how they are representing them on issues raised and results. Many other Councils are doing it around Sydney! Even Audio Podcasts could be good start - if Council  didn't want to approve of live views of Council Meetings.

If the community is to upload on Youtube Parts of Council Meetings, may I make a suggestion and suggest that all Council meetings are uploaded on Youtube ever since Council has been videoing all General Meetings! This would be a great initiative for the community to see! The other day I was searching "Blacktown City Council Meetings" and shocked to see uploaded video on Youtube from the community, know that Live Podcasts was rejected before by Councillors. I know they are different forms of media  but I thought if they ban Live Podcasts - they also would Ban uploading of parts of Council proceedings. Mind you it was good to see live the Mayoral Elections of 2015!


Another idea is to have  video Podcasts of Blacktown City Council news and updates on the their website. This could be a monthly report from every Councillor, Manager's and the Mayor outlining the highlights of the month. Let's get into the modern age of using the internet to the communities advantage as well as Councillor's and Officer's of Council as well.


Click here for previous blog


Click here for Blacktown City Council Mayoral Election 2014 video uploaded on YouTube

Independent Blacktown City Councillor Creates Confusion with Election of New Mayor - Imgaine If We Had 15 Independents To Electect Mayor!

Mayor Changes To Labor Independent and Blacktown City Council turns into turmoil in relation to further improvements that have been made as a progress under the Liberal Independent Local Government for the last 2 years, in Mount Druitt.

The *'Chewing Gum' new Mayor, Stephen Bali has been thrown into the deep end, when Blacktown City Council was trying to get out of the red, financially. Now Council, may go back into the red and never be self sufficient! Stephen is National Secretary of AWU Greater Western Sydney Branch. Now a Unionist running Blacktown City Council!

The new Mayor ran against Jess Diaz and won 8 votes to 7 in a secret ballot! I think it should always be a show of hands as this is a proper way to vote from your heart.

The Independent of Blacktown, Councillor Russ Dickens has now thrown a spanner into the works, by changing his vote 'at the last minute' as a measure of despair! I understand the there was an issue that Councillor Russ Dickens wanted to save 'Mount Druitt Pool' Had he asked the question to 6 Councillors of Ward 4 and 5 if they all swim at Mount Druitt Pool or not in each summer. Most probably the answer, would have been 'No'. And these are the elected representatives, from with the area.

I understand the Mount Druitt swimming pool issue, is a 'hot potato' to the local community, for the few that go there and swim! Especially when I walk past, which can be a few times the pool seems like it has low patronage and this is costly for the community, pipes have not been maintained. We might now see a gross in expense for maintain acne and the pool re-opened at a substantial cost to rate payers. 

Then we will wonder why the new may raise rates!  What gets myself with the opposition to the pool closure you have at least 2 local current and past members of State & Federal Members of parliaments involved in real estate sales and I am sure that these people are for improvement and developmental projects to increase housing for future population. One of them is selling multiple storey units right opposite the pool. I'm sure that when the time comes if the pool came available for future he median housing development  - they will jump at the first opportunity.

A radio interview with Mayor Len Robinson and also Councillor Stephen Bali on the Swimming Pool Closure. The radio announcer  an announcement that 47,000 people used the pool last year - if based on 4 months of the pool being opened that is 391.6 per day (based on 120 days). That results in approximately 49 people per hour ( if opened 8 hours per day) is at the pool at any time. For it to be enjoyed by the community it should be  at least 4 times that amount of people per hour!

Click here for interview


Imagine if we had 15 Independents to elect one Mayor? It would go on for days a be a shambles. Results would be hard to get. 

It appears Councillor Russ Dickens may have changed his vote (for what ever reason). I don't know his real age, but I feel that Councillors should have a retirement age of 65 years (when your 4 year term ends). I respect that Councillor Dickens has been in Council for a long time and my feelings are that younger people should be given an opportunity to be elected into Council.

I would hope that as a true Independent he will change votes when and if the new Mayor makes a slip. In the 2016 Blacktown Local Council Elections, there will be 2 Councillors that will not be running Councillor Len Robinson (Retirement) and Councillor Edmond Atalla ( As he may win the State Election due 2015) and I would assume Councillor Russ Dickens as a possible third one!

*Chewing Gum Councillor -  the reason he is called this in my books is that is what he does during Council Meetings! Which I think this is disgusting. Surely there are rules for proper manners. Will he chair meeting with chewing gum  in his mouth - ask him?