Queensland local-government elections 2024; advice for mayor, councillor candidates

With local government elections for all 77 Queensland councils approaching, a two-term mayor is offering advice to the competition.

Hinchinbrook Mayor Ramon Jayo speaking at the Shire Hall in Ingham during Australia Day celebrations. The popular two-term mayor is seeking a third term in March, 2024. Picture: Cameron Bates

With local government elections for all 77 Queensland councils rapidly approaching, a popular two-term mayor is offering sage advice to prospective mayoral or council candidates.

“A lot of people come in thinking they can change the world but it’s a much more difficult process,” Hinchinbrook Mayor Ramon Jayo said.

“What many people believe is that a councillor and a mayor run everything, and that is not the case because the role of a councillor is to determine policy and the role of the CEO is to control staff and ensure that the policies determined by the council are enacted.”

Cr Jayo, an experienced former council executive running for his third term as mayor, said that as a basic example, he did not even have the power to direct a council employee to fix a pothole.

“We enact the policies and processes in the best interests of the community to take the community forward and then the CEO has to implement the policy.”

Hinchinbrook Shire Mayor Ramon Jayo addresses a Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs hearing on bank closures during a hearing in Ingham in May. Picture: Cameron Bates

He said patience was a virtue, as was negotiation, as decisions needed a majority decision.

“The second thing is, and it is important, local government is actually a child of state parliament, we are restricted in a lot of things that we can do because we still need to get approval,” he said.

“(Decisions) still have to fit within the realms of State and Federal legislation.”

Cr Jayo, who has previously worked at the Dalrympleand Charters Towers councils, said that as an elected official it was “impossible to keep everyone happy”.

“I don’t even try, you just can’t,” he said.

“But you have to have a pretty wide sense of what the interests of the community are and you make decisions in accordance with what you believe … will give you the best results for your community.”

A voter wearing a mask casts his vote at Brisbane City Hall in 2020. Picture: Jono Searle-Getty Images

Cr Jayo, a cane-farmer, said mayor was a full-time and demanding job that often required working seven days a week.

“One of the things that I have found, and I’ve been in local government for 30 years, is because people have instant access to information (on the Internet) they now demand instant access to everything, and that includes politicians.”

Mandatory training for all council candidates is live online.

The Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning agreed with Cr Jayo’s comments regarding community focus, communication skills and “the ability to engage effectively and respectfully with a diverse range of people”.

A spokeswoman said councillors needed to be motivated to work with others “and be great leaders who are able to problem solve and negotiate”.

“They need to have business and financial management skills and they must be honest, transparent in their dealings and understand how to manage situations where conflicts of interest could arise between their personal and public interests.”

Deputy Director-General of Local Government Josh Hannan said the mandatory training for potential candidates was now available online. Picture: Supplied

Deputy Director-General of Local Government Josh Hannan said the mandatory training for potential candidates was now available online.

“If you’ve ever thought about running for council, this training will help you find out what the job is all about – and if it is the right role for you,” he said.

“Queensland is seeking candidates from all walks of life who can actively represent the range of interests and issues within our diverse regions.”

The Electoral Commission of Queensland said it was well-advanced in its preparations for the elections to fill 77 mayoral and 501 councillor positions across Queensland on March 16.

The EQC said that although the number of positions up for grabs had not changed since March 2020, state-wide enrolment has increased from 3.293 million electors in March 2020 to 3.612 million electors in September 2023.

There are currently 140,840 electors enrolled in the Townsville City Council area.

Originally published as Queensland local-government elections 2024; advice for mayor, councillor candidates