Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate reveals he will contest 2020 mayoral election after delivering a low rates budget

TOM Tate will run for a historic third term as the Gold Coast’s Mayor and says he’ll win in a landslide. Cr Tate, who yesterday brought down his third budget, reveals why he’ll get four more years.

MAYOR Tom Tate says he will stand again at the next election and win by a landslide.

Confident and feeling bullish on the back of consecutive low rise budgets, the Mayor yesterday was asked by the Gold Coast Bulletin had he just delivered a “pre-election budget”.

He pointed to a placard which in red marking showed the rate increases under previous administrations headed by the late Mayor Ron Clarke compared to his own since 2012.

“I put it to you that’s a re-election budget. That’s a re-election budget, that’s a re-election budget because it’s lower than any of that shit,” the Mayor replied.

“So every year has been a re-election budget.”

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Tom Tate is heading back to the polls. Picture: Jerad Williams

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The Gold Coast Bulletin asked the Mayor if next year’s budget, which would be the last to be delivered in this current term of council, would be a pre-election budget heading into the 2020 poll.

“Absolutely it will be a re-election budget and I’ll get in on a landside,” he replied.

The response stunned senior council staffers who have not heard the Mayor speak out so strongly before on his future political plans.

Cr Tate has previously declined to speculate on whether he would run for a third term, saying he would need to have a discussion with his wife, Ruth.

Earlier this month Cr Tate hinted he would consider a crack at a third term in 2020 if need be to ensure his offshore cruise ship terminal plan would be launched.

“I would like to but I will need to ask (Mayoress) Ruth — don’t expect an answer until late 2019,” he said.

Speculation has continued about whether the Mayor or Deputy Mayor Donna Gates would run again, with both along with some councillors being investigated by the Crime and Corruption Commission.

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Polling day at the last Gold Coast council election, Tom and Ruth Tate voting at Evandale. Picture Mike Batterham

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Cr Gates has recently stood down from council’s power planning committee.

In his budget address yesterday, Cr Tate said the city’s debt was forecast at $765 million when he was first elected in 2012.

He said he believed the city at that time was headed to debt of $1 billion but through his administrations had been reduced to $635 million this year.

Looking at the debt levels on the placard yesterday, Cr Tate said he was proud of his legacy.

“When history looks back, the Tate mayoral legacy will be that he brought the budget and financial management of the city in place,” Cr Tate said.

“At the same time building all this infrastructure. Nobody has worked that out, how you built all that infrastructure and did that (keep rates low).”

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Council election night and Mayor Tom Tate with wife Ruth Tate with supporters. Pic by Richard Gosling

Despite the focus on maintaining low rates, Cr Tate said council would continue to build major infrastructure like roads and the cultural precinct.

“There’s no bullshit here, things are happening,” he replied.

“There will be sod turning for our art building. The green bridge will commence, I think it will take 18 months.”

Cr Tate recalled that some critics had doubts about the cultural precinct being built. He added that HOTA was already a success.

“I’m saying look at the record, you will absolutely see things happening. Will you see things for the Gold Coast — you will have to be under a rock if you don’t see it,” he said.