Councillor’s leg-up for mayor’s rival

COUNCILLOR Peter Young has told residents he intends to vote for Mona Hecke and not Mayor Tom Tate in the mayoral election.

The only councillor in the city’s 14 divisions who is not facing a candidate at the March 28 poll, Cr Young used a Facebook post to ratepayers at Nerang and Pacific Pines to remind them they must still cast a vote in the mayoral race.

“Now just a word of warning – you still need to vote for a mayoral candidate on 28 March and voting is compulsory,” Cr Young wrote.

“So please don’t forget to get along to a booth on election day or a pre-poll booth from the 16th of March or make a postal vote – and please make a careful selection for mayor. I won’t publicly endorse a candidate but I am definitely voting for Mona Hecke 2020.

“I think she is an excellent candidate and I think she will be a good mayor.

“We need a lot of change and I believe she has the right ideas about what our focus should be in the coming years.”

Cr Young will talk about the road ahead for his area when Divisions 4, 5 and 7 are part of a You Decide election forum hosted by the Bulletin next Wednesday from 6pm to 8pm at the Nerang RSL.

Cr Young and Cr Tate have been rivals in the council chamber but they shook hands just before councillors farewelled each other at the final full council meeting on Tuesday.

The Mayor in December put a halt to marathon legal action by deciding to end defamation action against Cr Young.

Cr Young admitted it was a boost for himself and his support team not to have to organise rosters and set up polling booths and pre-polling booths.

“I don’t have to spend money on how-to-vote cards and signage, and I have a lot less stress. I am super pleased not to have a challenger but I am mindful it is great for people to have a choice. But nobody put their hand up, so please don’t blame me for that,” he told residents.