Uralla council elections: Robert Bell, Isabel Strutt and Natasha Ledger in three-way race for Uralla mayor position

Three people have put their hands up to take the place of the town's first popularly elected mayor Michael Pearce, who has held the role since 2012.

Current councillors Robert Bell, Isabel Strutt and Natasha Ledger are in a three-way race for the top job.

Should she be successful, it would be Cr Strutt's second time in charge, having previously served as mayor from September 2011 to September 2012.

She is preparing to serve her fifth term on council and believes experience is crucial as the shire undergoes a time of transition.

"There will be some challenges as there are always, but there are some really great possibilities for the shire, and I'd be looking for new opportunities as well for the council to consider, and take strategic decisions to move the shire forward," she said.

"My thinking is across all of the responsibilities of council, which is about providing the best quality services that you can provide."

She said no one issue stands out as something she's looking to build a platform on, but said it's important to have a steady hand at the wheel given the amount of regulatory requirements council faces.

Ensuring all operations are fully functional and council is in a good place economically are two things she believes are crucial moving forward.

She said the achievements of council across the past five years, which include the installation of the Bundarra Sewerage Scheme, refurbishment of the Uralla Visitor Information Centre, and road upgrades, point to her effectiveness as a councillor.

Cr Bell has also been a member of council during that time, but admitted he had become frustrated at times with not being able to do things how he'd like.

Having worked at council for 35 years in roles including the director of infrastructure, he had gotten used to being able to act without experiencing the same level of red tape associated with actually being a councillor.

"It's been frustrating, it's difficult because as a director I could get things done if I saw a need and could directly communicate with the public," he said.

Along with balancing the budget, Cr Bell said one of his biggest priorities would be improving transparency and public trust.

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"The whole process of the council just seems to be removed from the community and I'd like to see that change," he said.

"I want to try to engage more with the community and give them a sense of ownership in the whole process."

Reducing council staff turnover, which he said had been unusually high over the past 18 months, is another thing he thinks will help the organisation run more effectively.

Cr Ledger has also thrown her hand up for the role and has some very specific goals in mind.

On a local level, she believes long-term drought mitigation solutions need to be looked at, which must go hand-in-hand with promoting and preparing for a larger population.

She acknowledges that with more people comes more challenges and infrastructure requirements, with better waste management strategies another focus of hers.

"As mayor I will continue to ensure growth of our population, enhancement of our public spaces, promotion and innovation of new events, encourage investment infrastructure and increase service sustainably," she said.

Keeping other councillors happy is something she said would be important to keep operations running smoothly.

"As the new mayor I will seek to encourage, promote and highlight all councillors' hard work and dedication, and provide the relevant legislative framework for councillors to perform their civic duty," she said.

Cr Ledger has been an Invergowrie resident for the past 14 years, and is a mother and grandmother.

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