’I come from a strong leadership background … I feel as mayor I’d be able to utilise that experience a lot more effectively’: Alderman to challenge mayor
ONLY ONE Palmerston alderman has indicate they’ll challenge mayor Athina Pascoe Bell at the August election
Northern Territory
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MICK Spick is the only Palmerston alderman to indicate he’ll challenge mayor Athina Pascoe Bell at the August election.
However, Alderman Spick said a desire for personal growth was behind the decision rather than to up-end council and snatch the position from Ms Pascoe-Bell.
“As far as leadership goes I come from a strong leadership background, I brought operational experience to council (when I joined),” he said.
“I feel as mayor I’d be able to utilise that experience a lot more effectively (than as alderman) and be able to facilitate changes in Palmerston for the benefit of the whole community.”
It comes after Ms Pascoe-Bell confirmed she would be running again and said she was happy with the existing make up of council.
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“I think this particular council has done a really good job in being able to work together and I hope that some of the other elected members choose to run again as well,” she told the NT News.
“We’ve made quite a lot of changes to the way we service the community here in Palmerston and we’d like to see that continue.”
Mr Spick said he had a number of projects in mind he’d like to focus on in his future on council.
But he said he was happy with some of the projects he had worked on since council formed in April 2018.
“Being situationally aware to what council faces, I would have liked to see a bit more art and culture established in Palmerston and trying to make it representative of the people who live here and make it home,” he said. “Having time to reflect on what we’ve been able to achieve so far … one of the best things I’ve done is work with other levels of government, work with departments within the government with the lighting, with the laneways, with all these others things that we’ve worked on to facilitate change and bring a positive outcome for people.”
Aldermen Amber Garden, Benjamin Giesecke, Damian Hale, Sarah Henderson, Tom Lewis and Lucy Morrison all ruled out running for mayor but indicated they were hoping to sit on the council after the elections in August this year.
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They all indicated they hoped to build on and address various projects through their position.
A recreation lake, addressing law and order and crime, fixing the council’s laneways and delivering projects like the Swimming, Wellness Events, Leisure, Lifestyle (SWELL) facility were some of the main issues.
Ms Pascoe-Bell said she wanted to continue greening and shading the municipality.
Originally published as ’I come from a strong leadership background … I feel as mayor I’d be able to utilise that experience a lot more effectively’: Alderman to challenge mayor
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