Cr Epov was speaking to fellow councillors at this week's, September 22 monthly ordinary meeting after putting forward a notice of motion recommending ratepayers and residents should be entitled to determine the method of how the mayor was elected.

His four-part motion, which included: "Council directs the general manager to immediately advise the NSW Electoral Commission of its intention to conduct a constitutional referendum of ratepayers and residents to determine the method of election of the mayor at the Local Government Elections currently scheduled for 4 December, 2021", was lost with two councillors voting in favor and and six against the proposals.

"This is about the residents and ratepayers of this LGA having the democratic right to determine the method of the election of the mayor," he said.

"When we came together as three councils we had two councils elect the mayor by the councillors, one council, which I was a part of, elected the mayor through a free public (popular) vote.

"When I talk to people about council elections they are confused, they really don't understand the system of elections.

"In our current situation the mayor is elected by the councillors, the voters go to the election and they won't have a clue who the mayor might be."

"What gives us the right that we determine the mayor, why shouldn't the public have a say," he said.

Showing her support for the motion, Cr Kathryn Bell said this was a simple question which she had raised on two previous occasions.

"Give the community the opportunity (to vote) on who their civic leader will be," Cr Bell said.

"It is a fair decision."

Of the 128 councils in NSW only 35 have popularly elected mayors, Cr Troy Fowler said.

"We have seen what has happened with popularly elected mayors in certain areas in NSW," he said.

"The role of the mayor is to carry out civic and ceremonial responsibilities; it is about representing council," deputy mayor Claire Pontin said.

"The councillors are elected to represent the ratepayers and residents," she said.

"Our council area is so large now that our local community needs to vote their local representative in," Cr Karen Hutchinson said. "Councillors are the ones who have to work with the mayor so I think we have the right to choose the mayor."

We don't vote for the prime minister or premier, we vote for their representative, Cr Len Roberts said.

"The people are not interested in the vote for the mayor, all they want is to see the good stuff getting done," he said.

However, Cr Katheryn Smith said she was in support of hearing what the community had to say. "I am open to what the community has to say."

Earlier in the meeting councillors re-elected David West and Claire Pontin mayor and deputy mayor with a show of hands.

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