DEPUTY DONNA
NEW faces will circle Gold Coast City Council’s meeting chamber but don’t expect top brass to change.
Deputy Mayor Donna Gates is expected to retain the role for a third term – despite campaign comments she might not seek it – to maintain “stability”.
Three new faces will be joined by Eddy Sarroff or Darren Taylor, still locked in a tight race for tourism suburbs “super” seat of Division 10.
FOUR new councillors are to be sworn in this month as the shape of the new Gold Coast City Council becomes clearer.
Counting of votes continued yesterday, nearly two weeks after the March 28 poll.
But don’t expect a major shake-up of the council’s leadership team.
Donna Gates is expected to be confirmed for a record third term as deputy mayor, despite comments made during the campaign that she was unlikely to seek the position again,
The Bulletin has been told three other councillors were canvassed for the position – Helensvale’s William OwenJones, Paradise Point’s Cameron Caldwell and Robina’s Hermann Vorster.
But a council insider said continuity and stability were expected to be important factors in the formation of the leadership group.
“Expect to see all the committee heads to remain unchanged but there are likely to be changes to the membership of these as well as the reshuffling of the deputy chair positions to give our new talent an opportunity to get across council business,” the source said.
It is understood there have been conversations about creating a new finance committee to help deal with the council’s significant fiscal response to the COVID-19 crisis.
As of yesterday, more than 65 per cent of votes had been counted in the council’s divisions and the mayoralty.
The only seat yet to be decided is the so-called “super division” of Division 10 where, with 66.36 per cent of the vote counted, former councillor Eddy Sarroff was slightly ahead of Darren Taylor.
Mr Sarroff had secured 25.99 per cent of the vote, while Mr Taylor had 25.45 per cent.
While counting continues, the rest of the line-up has already been determined.
The majority of incumbents – councillors Gates, Caldwell, Vorster, OwenJones, Bob La Castra, Glenn
Tozer, Daphne McDonald, Pauline Young and Gail O’Neill – won their seats back.
Nerang councillor Peter Young was re-elected unopposed in Division 5.
Mark Hammel will be the new Division 1 councillor while Brooke Patterson won in Division 6, which takes in Southport.
The new Division 7, centred on Arundel, will be represented by Ryan BayldonLumsden, who at 27 will become the city’s youngestever councillor.