Mosman Mayor Peter Abelson steps down after 13 years of service, proud of his council’s continued independence

“IF YOU can’t do it 110 per cent and you’re giving 90 per cent, you are not doing the job quite fully,” retiring Mosman Mayor Peter Abelson said of his civic role.

Outgoing Mosman mayor Peter Abelson. Picture: Damian Shaw

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“IF YOU can’t do it 110 per cent and you’re giving 90 per cent, you are not doing the job quite fully,” retiring Mosman Mayor Peter Abelson said of his civic role. “So I think it’s time for someone who can do it 110 per cent.”

Councillor Abelson, 74, said it had been an honour and a great privilege to have served the people of Mosman for 13 years. He first served on Mosman Council between 1979 and 1987, and was re-elected in 2012.

Cr Abelson has spent seven years as mayor: from 1983 to 1985 and since 2012. He was almost 70 when he became Mosman’s first popularly-elected mayor.

How the Mosman Daily reported Cr Abelson’s 1979 victory.

“In 2012, it was very important to me to reconnect with my community,” Cr Abelson said. “And on a political level, the previous council was regarded as having lost contact with the community ... there was impetus for a new council to get back into providing good services to the community.”

Cr Abelson said he had achieved what he had aimed to do in his final term: improved service, better finances, the independence of Mosman, the conservative management of public land and an expansion of social services to include young people.

“My aim was to be friendly, accessible and sensible,” he said. “We remodelled the customer service centre: the original service area had glass barriers, like a bank.

Cr Abelson in his mayoral robes.

“The efficient running of council is also important: the previous council had a $3 million operating deficit and a budget of slightly under $40 million. We now have an operating surplus of more than $1.5 million.”

Cr Abelson also avoided becoming Mosman’s last mayor: fighting off the NSW Government’s forced council amalgamations policy was the cornerstone of his final term. “That was a really important achievement for the community and it did reflect the good work by councillors and the staff — who really have shown terrific service,” he said.

Campaigning during the 2012 council elections.

Cr Abelson will continue with his busy economics consultancy business and is very happy to be described as “late middle age”.

“I did consider whether I should start taking up painting lessons, but decided I was probably more use to society as an economist than as a painter,” he said. “I will try to achieve a healthy mix of professional involvement and leisure activities.”

Council elections are on Saturday, September 9. See next week’s Mosman Daily for a preview to the elections.