John Crowe joins Golden Plains council after resignation of Brett Cunningham
The latest member to join Golden Plains council received just 800 first preference votes and his elevation means nine of the 10 candidates who stood for election will have spent time on council.
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The embattled Golden Plains council once again has seven members following a countback that will see John Crowe join the group.
Mr Crowe, who received just 800 first preference votes at last year’s election, was one of only two candidates in the running to replace former mayor Brett Cunningham, who resigned suddenly in May.
Mr Cunningham, elected in 2020, provided scant detail of the reasons behind his decision other that a desire to “prioritise the health and wellbeing” of himself and his family.
Mr Crowe, an Inverleigh resident who defeated Dom Cook in Wednesday morning’s countback, has a background in accounting.
His elevation means nine of the 10 candidates who stood for election will have spent time on council.
“I believe my professional skills will greatly assist me in assessing the financial viability of all policies for economic benefit of you the ratepayer,” Mr Crowe said in the lead up to the election.
“I would adopt a balanced approach on key areas of council policies, such as budget, rates, road maintenance, asset management, community groups, seniors and youth opportunities, to name a few.
“As the shire is in a rapid growth phase, there is a big responsibility that council makes the right decisions affecting the environment today, so that the Golden Plains Shire continues to be a great place to reside in.”
Mr Crowe joins a shire that has been plagued by problems in recent months.
Owen Sharkey replaced Sarah Hayden as mayor last month after she resigned “to provide our shire with stability and to support a return to core business”.
Mr Sharkey then slammed “faceless residents” who he claimed were undermining democracy by posting abuse and peddling falsehoods online.
He took particular aim at activity within community Facebook groups that he described as “deeply damaging”.
“Unlike some of the voices we see on social media, we do not hide behind anonymous user names, we front up, we engage and we respond,” he said.
Gavin Gamble replaced top vote getter Lachlan Glen in January following his resignation due to personal reasons just one month into the four-year term, a result that saw a left-wing candidate come in for a “back to basics” campaigner.
Chief executive Shane Walden, appointed in September, resigned abruptly earlier this year in circumstances that were never fully explained.
Phil Josipovic stepped in as acting chief who in turn has been replaced by Steven Sagona.
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Originally published as John Crowe joins Golden Plains council after resignation of Brett Cunningham
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