LAKE Macquarie council has confirmed its councillor numbers will remain the same for the 2020 election, but not before councillors debated axing or increasing their own positions and whether the council - or voters - should elect the mayor.
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After a somewhat fiery debate during Monday night's ordinary meeting, the council locked in 13 councillors, including a popularly-elected mayor, for the next term of government.
Liberal councillor Jason Pauling had put forward an amendment to the status quo, proposing a reduction to 12 councillors and change to a council-elected mayor.
He said it would increase "mayoral accountability" and had potential for "more representative mayoral allocation".
Staff indicated that the change required a referendum and processes which would be difficult to achieve before September, when the council was required determine councillor numbers.
Under the Local Government Act, councils have to determine numbers 12 months out from an election. The Act specifies the number of councillors must be at least five and not more than 15.
Councillor Pauling said the timing "left no other option but the status quo". He altered his amendment to "initiate actions necessary" for change after the next election.
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Labor councillor Barney Langford said the idea was a "proposal to go back to the era of back-room deals".
He said it was "extraordinary" and he "looked forward" to both Cr Pauling and Cr Kevin Baker taking the policy to the next election.
Cr Baker later proposed an amendment involving community consultation on the make-up of council.
He proposed seeking feedback on, but not limited to, four potential options: keeping the status quo, 12 councillors with a council-elected mayor, 15 councillors with a council-elected mayor or nine councillors with a popularly-elected mayor.
Cr Baker's amendment had some support, but the Labor councillors said there was no need to seek feedback as the community had not raised any issue with councillor numbers.
Cr Pauling said "despite the cheap personal ridicule" thrown about during the meeting, the proposal required exploration.
He said if he was to go to the election with a slogan of "one less snout in the trough", he might "do alright".
He said the council was "in the minority" having a popularly-elected mayor compared to the rest of the state.
"This is something that needs to be tested," he said. "I think it is appropriate we ask people what they want".
Independent councillor John Gilbert said seeking community feedback on councillor numbers would be a "proactive" exercise.
"This is a great opportunity to float some ideas ... and finding out where people see us going," he said.
The eventual vote to keep the status quo was 8-2.
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