Pittwater Mayor announces retirement as call goes out for councillors to fill new positions

Pittwater Mayor Jacqui Townsend has confirmed she will be retiring once the council goes into administration this year pending the formation of a new council­.

Pittwater Mayor Jacqui Townsend has confirmed she will be retiring once the council goes into administration this year pending the formation of a new council­.

Cr Townsend’s decision comes as Local Government Minister Paul Toole called for councillors interested in being involved in the creation of the new councils to submit an expression of interest­. Cr Townsend said she would not be putting her hand up.

“I’ve done 8 years at local government – four years as mayor and two years as deputy mayor,” she said.

Pittwater Council is firmly against one single council.

“I think it’s time for me to hand it over for new blood to come in and take further any new council that is formed.”

The Office of Local Government contacted all three peninsula mayors late last week stating that with the boundary review process set to be completed by the middle of this year, the Government was considering options­ for current councillors. One option was­ acting as an administrator of the new council until the local government elections.

Mayor of Warringah Michael­ Regan said he would be submitting an expression­ of interest.

“The council and the public know my support for genuine reform and to be part of the process and I think the community would have some expectation that their elected mayor and councillors would be part of any transition into a new council,” said Cr Regan.

Many have speculated if Mayor of Manly Jean Hay would also retire, however Cr Hay told the Manly Daily she would be looking at the options over the coming days. Cr Regan commented that the call-out was a “fishing” exercise to determine who was in support of reform­ and who was not.