Toowoomba deputy mayor: Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff to challenge Geoff McDonald for role at next meeting

A showdown is brewing at the coming council meeting, with Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff to challenge incumbent Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald for his position. Exclusive details here:

Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald and Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff.

Toowoomba councillor Rebecca Vonhoff will challenge incumbent Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald for his position in the coming weeks.

The Chronicle can reveal Ms Vonhoff is expected to nominate for the role at the April ordinary meeting, after narrowly losing a vote at the initial session of council shortly after the 2020 election.

That 2020 meeting created a condition that the Deputy Mayor position would be reviewed in two years.

It comes just a week after all female councillors agreed there were gender imbalances within the organisation, which features only men in the positions of mayor, deputy mayor, CEO and all permanent general managers.

Ms Vonhoff, who won the most votes at the election, will argue her colleagues should restore the precedent set by previous councils of installing the poll winner to the deputy mayor position.

“On April 23 2020 at the post-election meeting of council it was resolved that council policy be that the appointment of deputy mayor will be revised at regular intervals,” a draft statement by Ms Vonhoff said.

“At that meeting, the practice that the person who tops the poll in the local government elections be support for the role of deputy mayor was set aside.

“Council instead set a new precedent, deciding that the councillor who topped the poll, Councillor Rebecca Vonhoff, needed experience before being deputy mayor.

“In a split vote 6-5, Mayor Paul Antonio and councillors appointed Councillor Geoff McDonald as deputy mayor.

“April 2022 marks two years since that decision.”

Noting that the council agenda was not finalised until the Friday before the ordinary meeting, Mr McDonald said if a challenge for his position did occur he would be happy to go through the process.

“If there’s a challenge for that position then it will go through that normal process, and if that’s the case it may well be that I stand down from that position and nominations are then called from the floor,” he said.

“If the vote occurs, it will be up to 10 of my colleagues to determine if I’ve delivered on the responsibilities of the role and (whatever the) decision I will be comfortable with it.”

During the initial vote, Ms Vonhoff earned support from Bill Cahill, Kerry Shine and Carol Taylor, while Mr McDonald was backed by Mr Antonio, Megan O’Hara Sullivan, Tim McMahon and Melissa Taylor.

Councillor Nancy Sommerfield voted for both candidates, as was her right to do so, while Councillor James O’Shea did not vote for either.

The push for a woman as deputy mayor again - following Carol Taylor’s stint during the previous term - appears to have the support of two female colleagues, with both Ms Sommerfield and Melissa Taylor interested in seeing a new vote occur.

“At the beginning of this term Councillor McDonald suggested there should be a potential for change and that’s what he based part of his argument,” Ms Sommerfield told The Chronicle.

“He didn’t believe Councillor Vonhoff had the experience.

“I support that it goes to consideration, and it should be considered and everyone should be able to put their hand up.

“I would love to see the diversity of having a female there.”

Ms Taylor also supported the need for more diverse leadership within council’s top ranks.

“There was an agreement around the table that halfway through the term that would have a review,” she said.

“That two years is in April so I’m supportive of a review, we’ve just been through International Women’s Day and you know my views on having a diverse leadership.

“I am very supportive of the right person in the right role, and if that gives us more diversity, I would be supportive of that — I walk the talk.”

All other councillors declined to comment before the meeting had occurred.