Councillors have engaged in another fiery debate about whether Wyndham should have two deputy mayors.
The issue, which was a topic of lively discussion between some of the councillors last year, again reared its head at last week’s council meeting.
In December, the council conducted a 28-day community consultation, asking for residents’ views on whether the municipal local law should be amended to allow the election of up to two deputy mayors.
More than 79 per cent of the responses received by the council, 208 in total, did not support the proposal.
A total of 23.23 per cent of respondants – 53 people – supported the idea.
The result was released at last Tuesday’s council meeting, but some councillors said they still believe Wyndham should have up to two deputy mayors.
Cr Josh Gilligan said he believed the council should “revisit” the issue once the state government had finished public consultation on its exposure draft of the Local Government Bill – which will replace the Local Government Act – on March 23.
While the council passed Cr Gilligan’s motion, some of the councillors who voted against it were scathing in their response.
Cr Henry Barlow said that Wyndham’s residents had made their opinion on the issue clear through December’s survey.
“If you respect the community of Wyndham, you will listen to what they’ve got to say,” he said.
While the councillors discussed the proposed changes, Cr Intaj Khan also said he believed the state government should review the salaries and allowances provided to councillors.
Cr Khan said the councillors worked “really, really hard” and that their salaries should reflect this.
“I would like to say, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys,” he said.
Cr Khan said greater allowances would help to attract “professional, attractive people” such as doctors and lawyers to stand for council.
After Cr Khan’s speech, Cr Kim McAliney quipped that she was “a qualified accountant and not a monkey”.
