Any local residents who are considering running for election are encouraged to go and chat with Cobar Shire Council’s general manager Peter Vlatko.
“I think it’s important for potential candidates to fully understand what’s involved in being a councillor, what’s expected of them and what their responsibilities will be.
“If they come and see me I can give them an understanding about how Local Government and Council works, and what they will get out of it,” Mr Vlatko said.
“It’s important for candidates to appreciate that they will be representing the community.
“They need to be able to listen to what the community wants, and sometimes that might mean putting aside their own ideas.
“They will also need to be able to work with their fellow councillors—you can’t achieve anything on Council as an individual, you need to work together as a team.
“We welcome people in the community who have challenged what Council has been doing and the decisions it has made.
“We’d like them to come on board, get an understanding of what’s involved and help us shape the future of the town and the shire.
“Councillors are strategic, they create the vision of what they want the shire to look like.
“Councillors are not operational, they work with the general manager and staff to make the vision happen.”
Mr Vlatko said it was important that potential candidates make themselves aware of Council meeting formalities and protocols, as well as debating etiquette.
Meetings are run formally and councillors are given the opportunity to speak.
No one is however permitted to monopolise a debate, talk over others, make threats, interrupt another speaker or interject.
“That may have been the old way that council meetings were run, but things have changed and meetings are now conducted in an organised, structured and respectful manner.”
Mr Vlatko said ideally he’d like to see 15 candidates nominate for the 12 vacant positions which would necessitate an election.
“The public would then get to vote for who they would like to see on Council.
“If we only have 12 or less candidates, then they would all be automatically elected to Council and voters wouldn’t get to have their say.”
