IT was a case of history repeating when councillors voted to elect Cr James Dooley as Frankston’s new mayor last week.
Councillors broke with tradition for the second year running with a split five-three vote to elect the new mayor at a public council meeting last Thursday evening (12 November).
Councillors usually discuss who will be mayor at a closed meeting before a mayor is elected in public to resolve any differences of opinion so a new mayor begins the statutory 12-month tenure as Frankston’s civic leader and chair of council meetings with a united council front.
Crs Glenn Aitken, Sandra Mayer, Colin Hampton, Brian Cunial and Dooley voted for Cr Dooley to be mayor while Crs Suzette Tayler, Rebekah Spelman and Michael O’Reilly backed Cr Tayler’s mayoral bid.
Cr Darrel Taylor was absent from the meeting. The Times understands he would have voted for Cr Tayler.
This year’s split-vote mirrors a five-four vote at last year’s election of former mayor Cr Sandra Mayer whose 12-month tenure as mayor ended last Thursday.
Cr Dooley said he felt honoured to have been elected by his peers to lead Frankston over the next 12 months.
In a statement released on Friday he said he is very optimistic about the future of Frankston and that he aims to change the dialogue about the city.
“Locals already know that Frankston is a good place to live and raise a family. We have a strong social and cultural scene, a beautiful beach and great parks utilised by established sporting clubs,” Cr Dooley said.
“We also have increasing new investment in housing, great schools including a world-class university and a diverse economic base – I want to help to spread that message even further.”
Cr Dooley thanked his predecessor as mayor, Cr Mayer, and outgoing deputy mayor Cr Glenn Aitken for their hard work during their 12-month stint as ambassadors for Frankston.
“Cr Mayer set an extremely high standard and laid the foundations for our city’s strong current position, especially in regards to Frankston’s extensive Capital Works Program. She has been inclusive in her decision making and acted in an extremely professional manner,” he said.
“Cr Aitken always brings a unique perspective and experience into discussions, which we all appreciate.”
Cr Colin Hampton was elected deputy mayor last Thursday. There were no other nominations for the position. In a further sign of divisions between councillor factions Crs Spelman, Tayler and O’Reilly declined to vote.
The minority councillors claim the five councillors with the majority vote often decide outcomes with little or no consultation with their fellow councillors since they have the numbers to approve council decisions with little or no debate.
