Tamworth Regional Council: referendum for popular mayor vote at September elections shot down by councillors

The motion, put forward by Cr Mark Rodda, asked the council to consider a referendum at the September elections to give the public the power to elect the mayor.

Although it's a minority of councils in NSW that elect their mayor by popular vote, it doesn't mean the system is flawed, Cr Rodda said.

"A mayor elected by the whole community, not just a majority of nine councillors, has the confidence of the community," he said.

"I realise that the timeframe for my notice of motion is tight, but not impossible."

Uralla Shire Council has a popularly elected mayor, as does Singleton, Orange and Port Macquarie, but 71 per cent of local councils still choose to have councillors make the decision on who leads them.

The idea was shot down seven votes to one; if the referendum was approved by voters it would have applied to the 2024 council elections.

The cost was estimated at about $100,000, but it wasn't the price Cr Juanita Wilson took issue with.

"There are innuendos, accusations and slurs against fellow councillors and unfortunately considerable sections of our local community and I actually feel they deserve defending from their council," she said.

"He [Cr Rodda] put forward the argument that this system returns democracy to the people, I actually don't feel that democracy has left us."

Only 30 per cent of councils in NSW use the popular voting method and Cr Glenn Inglis said there's a clear reason for that.

"It's risky," he said.

"The possibility of democratic failure and meaningful disruption to good governance and sound and stable community leadership is real, very real and I have witnessed it firsthand," he said.

"For TRC, where is the evidence to justify entertaining this risk? What is the problem we are going to solve?

"There is no evidence and there is no problem to solve."

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Party politics and a popularly-elected mayor are the two things Cr Jim Maxwell never wanted to see in TRC chambers.

"I have seen councils with popularly elected mayors that tear themselves apart from within," he said.

"Some work, a lot don't."

Local council elections will be held in September.

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