The Examiner has invited the two likely candidates for the mayor’s job to set out why they should be the one who gets it.
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The current mayor, Steve Toms, and his deputy, Carol Sparks, are expected to vie for the post at the monthly council meeting next Thursday.
The plan is to publish their views on the opinion page of the newspaper and online next week. Neither will see the piece written by the other before it’s published.
Cr Toms has accepted the challenge. Cr Sparks is considering it.
At the moment, Carol Sparks looks as though she has the numbers to win the contest on Thursday. She’s usually in the four councillor majority on key votes in the seven member body. Steve Toms is usually in the three person minority.
But a campaign to keep Cr Toms has been organised by his allies. They need one of the four councillors to switch sides. Earlier this week, a raft of prominent people in the town, many of them in business, signed a letter to The Examiner endorsing Cr Toms.
The thirteen signatories say that he has “demonstrated his ability, experience and vision in providing leadership for the community”.
They add that they think he has good relationships with councillors in surrounding areas and with the federal and state members of parliament, something they say is “critical in gaining funding”.
Carol Sparks, too, has her supporters. Earlier in the month, Cr Andrew Parsons said: “I want to see a change.
“I like Carol. She’s a good person. She fights tooth and nail for things the community needs. It’s time we saw some ladies at the top.”
They both have the chance to state their own case, in their own words, next week.
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