Tweed Shire Council debate as councillor James Owen pushes for community to elect mayors

A debate over how Tweed elects mayors included references to ex-US president Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and even the politics of Ancient Rome. Here’s what happened.

Tweed Shire Council councillor James Owen, Mayor Chris Cherry and councillor Reece Byrnes.

A fiery debate has played out at a Tweed Shire Council meeting as a councillor pushed to have the public elect mayors, rather than the local government organisation.

Councillor James Owen believes the current process in which councillors elect mayors is “not democratic or fair” – though of 128 local councils in NSW less than 40 have publicly elected mayors.

The debate at Thursday’s meeting included references to former US president Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and even the politics of Ancient Rome.

Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry and councillor James Owen.

Cr Owen’s proposal was met with backlash, including warnings that allowing the public to pick could allow people “to buy” the role of mayor, leading to “Trump-style” representatives and the “Americanisation” of Australian politics.

Cr Owen said he was not after the mayor’s job.

It comes after he secured 24.9 per cent of the votes in the 2021 council election, compared to Cr Cherry’s 12.3 per cent.

Cr Own said earlier this week the community had “assumed that as I had secured the most votes, I would be their mayor”.

He said at the meeting his notice motion arose after community members questioned why councillors rather than tens of thousands of voters did not pick the mayor.

“(The community) didn’t understand how a councillor who got twice as many votes as the mayor and up to three times as many as the other councillors isn’t the mayor,” he said.

“The reality is the people in this room do not like the support the community gave me at the last election.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Cr Owen pointed to neighbouring councils with popularly elected mayors – the Gold Coast’s Tom Tate, Lismore’s Steve Krieg, Ballina’s Sharon Cadwallader, Byron’s Michael Lyon and Richmond Valley’s Robert Mustow.

“You have four of seven Northern Rivers Joint Organisation mayors who are popularly elected … they are excellent mayors,” he said.

“(Mayor Krieg even) said he didn’t understand why you wouldn’t have a popularly elected mayor and that every council should have one.”

Cr Owen said a popularly elected mayor could “just get on and govern for their term” without needing to appease councillors or worry about doing deals in a bid to be re-elected.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was named in the colourful council debate. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev/Pool/AFP

Mayor Chris Cherry replied: “What’s really important to understand is democracy is so important that it can’t be bought.”

“And certainly we saw the person (Cr Owen) who spent the most money in the campaign receive the most votes in our election,” she said.

Cr Cherry said changing the voting process could lead the way to “Donald Trump elections” and undemocratic results.

“ … 75 per cent of the people in our electorate actually didn’t vote for (Cr Owen) to be mayor,” she said.

Former US President Donald Trump was even referenced in the debate. Picture: Chandan Khanna.

She said a mayor “out of step” with the rest of council “puts the mayor in a very difficult position”.

Cr Cherry said most NSW councils avoid popularly elected mayors and “it could lead to a very dysfunctional council.”

Councillor and former deputy mayor Reece Byrnes said he was against “the Americanisation of our democratic systems”.

“To move back to a more Putin-style, or American-style or even Ancient Roman-style of voting … well that doesn’t actually produce good outcomes for people,” he said.

Cr Byrnes said it could lead to a leader telling other politicians “that they’re just idiots and they’re not doing the right thing”.

Cr Owen hit back and said the next meeting of the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation, attended by popularly elected mayors, would be “very interesting”.

Cr Own’s motion was defeated, with only himself and Councillor Rhiannon Brinsmead supporting it.