Following the passing of Cobar’s long-standing mayor, Lilliane Brady OAM, last week (who was still in office when she passed) Cobar Shire Council is now required to elect a new mayor.
Cobar Shire Council general manager Peter Vlatko said, in accordance with Local Government regulations, our current deputy mayor Peter Abbott will take on the role of acting mayor until the February Ordinary Council Meeting next week.
Council is then required to appoint/elect a new mayor and deputy mayor from among their number—the mayor and deputy mayor are not popularly elected.
Mr Vlatko said while the term of office for the mayor and deputy mayor is usually two years, this appointment however will only be for seven months.
The new mayor and deputy mayor will only be required to carry out the leadership roles until the 2021 NSW Local Government elections in September this year.
With the passing of Mayor Brady, Cobar Shire is now left with just nine councillors.
The council was reduced to just 10 members following the resignations of Cr Tracey Kings and Cr Chris Lehmann in August and September 2019 respectively.
Within the Local Government regulations, both were not replaced as their resignations had come within 18 months of the next scheduled Local Government elections (which were to have taken place in September 2020).
The COVID-19 pandemic however forced the postponement of the elections for a further 12 months.
Cobar ratepayers will go to the polls in September this year to elect a new council of 12 members.
