YAHL resident and elected member Alan Hill will make a tilt for the Grant District mayoral position in the November local government elections.
Cr Hill – who has been a Grant district councillor for nearly 12 years – said he planned to run in the mayoral plebiscite to drive change at the rural-based council.
The outspoken councillor has made headlines in recent weeks after firing a barrage of questions at Mayor Richard Sage during council meetings.
Their fractured relationship hit flashpoint at last week’s meeting, where Cr Hill described Mr Sage as a “one-man show”.
In response, Mr Sage accused Cr Hill of not picking up the phone and calling him about issues and stood by the fact he believed the 2018/19 budget had not been adequately debated.
Speaking to The Border Watch, Cr Hill would not be drawn into commenting about his tenuous relationship with Mr Sage.
In a prepared statement, Cr Hill said he was “pleased to confirm” he would be a contender for the upcoming local government elections.
“The mayoral position has not been contested for some 10 years,” Cr Hill said.
“Having served on council for almost 12 years, I considered it is my time to step up and contest the leadership role.”
Cr Hill said council rules prevented him from outlining matters he considered important for change.
“But be assured when the election is formally declared in September, all council ratepayers will be aware of my election platform,” he said.
The elected member also encouraged other ratepayers to put their hat in the ring for the council elections for both the mayoral and elected member positions.
“New members provide fresh ideas and are pivotal to the continued success of local government,” Cr Hill said.
Nominations for the 2018 council elections open early September and close on September 18.
Voting in council elections is completed by posting voting papers.
Anyone on the state electoral roll or who has completed an enrolment to join the supplementary roll will receive a voting pack in the mail in late October.
The Border Watch contacted Mr Sage for comment, but he was unavailable.
