Council’s first candidate to bring colour to 2020 party

The man famous for jacaranda purple ice cream announced his intention to run for council and wants to bring a little more passion into proceedings.

I Scream owner Jeff Smith is putting his hand up to run for Clarence Valley Council this September

IF YOU thought council elections were a bit drab, think again, as a new candidate plans on bringing a little colour to the cause.

Grafton ice-cream extraordinaire Jeff Smith officially announced his intention to run for the council and said he wanted to bring a little more passion into proceedings.

Wearing his trademark ­Hawaiian shirt, the recently retired Jacaranda Festival president said he was looking forward to the campaign and would love to see "40 or 50 candidates" put their hands up.

"They sometimes look a bit dry but I think we can bring a fun element to it and get a little bit excited," he said.

"A lot of the world never gets to vote for anyone, this is a privilege this country's got and let's see it as that and get involved with the process."

Having moved to the Clarence Valley 25 years ago, Mr Smith said he had well and truly fallen in love with the ­regional lifestyle, so much so that people in Sydney had ­"finally stopped asking me when I'm coming back".

His decade in small business with popular Prince St store I Scream and community involvement had given him a good understanding of the various needs of people, in particular small businesses.

But he said it was his role on the Jacaranda Festival committee - including two years as president - that provided him a platform to be able to bring a "fresh energy" to the council.

"I think I can bring leadership, passion and imagination," Mr Smith said.

"You've seen such an explosive freshness to the festival and it's the same with any organisation, whether it's business or community groups.

"Council is a much more ambitious project but I believe we can do similar on a bigger scale.

"It's all about the people - getting the right people in the right spots, who are all heading in the same direction with the same vision."

 

I Scream owner Jeff Smith is putting his hand up to run for Clarence Valley Council this September

For Mr Smith, the key was using the assets already here - the community and the river - to build something vibrant and new that attracted people to the region - and that meant being creative.

"Forty or 50 years ago Grafton bet its future on big industry, now Australia-wide that's been the wrong bet because big industry is moved," he said.

"There's got to be a big rethink, we can't wait for big companies to come from outside to save us.

"I think we've got the resources here already in our people and their imaginations, passions and drives. And we can build new businesses from within - with support from council."

Motivated by a recognition that in order to make something better, it was not enough to simply "sit on the outside and fling stones", Mr Smith said people who sought to criticise the council should consider working towards solutions.

But he did note there were issues with the way the council communicated with the public.

"It must be frustrating for the councillors and indeed the staff that they're seen as these pariahs that can't get anything right," he said.

"They're doing some great things but I don't think they're communicating well enough."

But the big question was, would he be sticking with the Hawaiian shirts? The answer was a resounding "yes".

"Someone suggested on polling day we get everyone in Hawaiian shirts and I thought that sounds excellent - it's the Jeff Smith brand," he said.

"It's Jeff Smith as you see him - small businessman and passionate Grafton and Clarence Valley supporter of all things community."

 

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