New Tea Tree Gully Council mayor Kevin Knight promises to go back to basics

MORE than 21 years after he was first elected as a councillor, Kevin Knight is now mayor. He’s promised a return to core council responsibilities.

NEW mayor Kevin Knight has promised a focus on core council responsibilities during his time at the helm of Tea Tree Gully Council.

Mr Knight, 64, won a five-way battle for the council’s top spot, beating incumbent Pat Trainor by 1171 first-preference votes.

He said his key priorities for the region were park and sportsground maintenance, debt reduction and stabilising rates.

“I’ve run a back-to-basics campaign, aimed at getting back to our core responsibilities,” Mr Knight, who was first elected as a ward councillor in 1993, said.

“The residents are over visions­ and strategic plans and masterplans, they just want their city to be run efficiency­.”

“We really are blessed with our open space and natural environment (but) a lot of people think they’re looking a bit run down,” he said.

Mr Knight said the council needed to concentrate on minimising rate rises.

He also wanted to continue to reduce the council’s $34.1 million debt, which has dropped from a high of $43.3 million in 2011/12.

“That (high debt) was due to decisions taken between 2006 and 2010,” he said, attributing the problem to too much spending too fast and high operating costs.

“The problem was the operating expenses – they had gone through the roof,” he said.

“Our biggest expense is people. Our salaries and wages have always been a little less than 50 per cent of our revenue but they had gone beyond that.”

Mr Knight said he would personally save the council about $30,000 by cutting mayoral expenses. He said he would not use a council-provided mayoral car, mobile phone or claim home internet access and would accept an annual salary of just $60,000 – $16,000 less than his entitlement.

“If I’ve got to go to town (on council duties) I’m happy to catch the bus home. I will save the people at least $30,000 – that’s a real solid promise.”

Mr Knight said one of his first tasks as mayor would be helping new councillors fit into their roles.

Tea Tree Gully’s new-look council includes six returning councillors and six elected for the first time.

“I will try and contact all the new ones and try to give them some advice,” he said.

“The secret to debating is to know what you’re talking about. Too many councillors ask staff to answer a question when it’s in a report.”

Mr Knight, a son of British migrants, said his wife, Karen, was an invaluable support during his mayoral campaign. The couple has two adult children, Linda, who lives in Germany and Jeff, of Wynn Vale, and three grandchildren and another one due this week.

Originally published as New Tea Tree Gully Council mayor Kevin Knight promises to go back to basics