Divisions emerge in heated debate over deputy mayor’s job
TOOWOOMBA Regional Council has decided who will take up the position of deputy mayor. But as two vied for the post, divisions emerged.
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THE first meeting of the new Toowoomba Regional Council was filled with heated debate, as Cr Geoff McDonald sensationally won the deputy mayor's position ahead of newcomer Cr Rebecca Vonhoff.
Cr McDonald was narrowly elected to the role in a 6-5 split vote, following an hour of heated and lengthy discussions for a matter that was expected to take a few minutes.
He is also the first councillor in the amalgamation era to reach the role without earning the most votes in the local government election.
Cr Vonhoff was first nominated by Cr Bill Cahill, based on the long-held principle about the person winning the most votes being offered the role.
The motion was then turned on its head when newcomer Cr Melissa Taylor proposed amending it to only allow the deputy mayor to run for two terms, arguing that the council needed experience in its leadership.
"The intent of the motion was to promote leadership within the council and to ensure that we have continuity of knowledge and experience going through council chambers," she said.
After the council's governance and legal services general manager Grant Wilson pointed out that proposal was legally problematic, it was changed to allow council to review the term length of the deputy mayor at a later stage.
This was narrowly passed 6-5.
Cr Megan O'Hara Sullivan then nominated Cr McDonald for deputy mayor, after which both Cr Carol Taylor and Cr Cahill self-nominated (the latter would later withdraw his nomination).
Cr Vonhoff spoke about the need to accept the will of the voters, arguing that prior local government experience wasn't the criteria for the role.
"I don't believe I'm entitled to anything - historically, the person with the most votes has been nominated and elected by peers to be deputy mayor," she said.
"Two of my last three roles were for international organisations, with operational budgets that one would expect of global entities, I also have board leadership and senior management experience.
"We are in a time of crisis, and this is familiar territory for me.
"If we let local government experience be the criteria on which we base appointment, we'll end up with representation that's skewed older and very narrow."
Cr McDonald said he had developed the experience from his previous two terms on council to become deputy mayor.
"We have entered what is clearly becoming one of the toughest stanzas in our history as a nation and as a region," he said.
"The environment and community group which I've chaired has achieved legacy projects that our community benefit from now and well into the future.
"The experience of understand the business of council is something only time in this role affords.
"Right at this moment, we need strong, sensible and commonsense leadership."
After Cr Vonhoff received five votes (herself, Crs Cahill, Kerry Shine, Carol Taylor and Nancy Sommerfield), Cr McDonald then earned six votes (himself, Mayor Antonio, Crs O'Hara Sullivan, Sommerfield, Melissa Taylor and Tim McMahon).
Because they were two different motions, Cr Sommerfield was entitled to vote twice, while Cr James O'Shea did not vote for either councillor.
In his acceptance speech, Cr McDonald said he hoped to work with everyone moving forward, regardless of the vote.
"I can assure you all, particularly Cr Vonhoff, that my support and my working with everyone around the room is not going to be impacted by who voted what or where," he said.
"We can go ahead now working as a team, and that is my intention."
Cr Vonhoff said she was disappointed but accepted the council's decision.
"I am disappointed for our region, and I gave it my best shot," she said.
"As councillors, we work in a democracy, and the majority decided they wanted Cr McDonald to be deputy mayor.
"Just as I respect democracy, I accept the votes and tomorrow's a new day."