Please vote when you get your ballot in the mail

Citizens of Bridgetown have a chance at the forthcoming local government elections, via the postal ballot which will come in the mail, to break the moribund culture which currently prevails at our Shire Council.

We have a clever and charismatic CEO Tim Clynch, who understandably prefers to work for a compliant and complacent Council, because this essentially allows him to run the show.

But this is not how local government is supposed to work.

The Council should be a diverse bunch of individuals, dedicated to serving and improving their community by contributing to robust debate on the issues facing the community, directing the CEO on the best way forward and providing close scrutiny of the Shire’s finances.

As pointed out several times on these pages, the current Council (with the exceptions of newcomers Cr Nicholas and Cr Mackman) has allowed itself to be lulled into the belief that they should fall into line as a “team” working  in partnership with the CEO and other senior staff.   The partnership works like this; all decisions are made by the CEO and then discussed with councillors behind the scenes during dinners, over coffee, at informal briefing sessions or “workshops”.  Council and committee meetings are usually over in less than an hour, as all the motions put forward by officers are invariably passed unanimously and without debate.  In exchange for this easy ride, the CEO puts out the spin that the councillors, especially the President, are working hard and doing a tremendous job.  But motions put forward by councillors are as rare as hens teeth. Some serving councillors have never put forward a single motion of their own, and there are others like President Tony Pratico who have a 100 per cent strike rate of voting in favour of every single item put forward by Mr Clynch, across years of Council meetings!

The big winners are the Shire staff and because their numbers keep growing, the staff, their friends, family and relatives together make up a large and motivated voting block in a small place like Bridgetown. Those who are happy to follow the above process and don’t rock the boat are assured of good support in any election.

Ex-president Brian Moore backed Mr Clynch to the hilt on every issue. When Mr Moore resigned,  his wife was easily elected to fill his seat.  Another Clynch acolyte was former councillor Stephanie Devany. Her husband Peter Quinby is now standing.  Serving councillor Alan Wilson is standing again. His son is a Shire employee.

If you elect Mr Wilson, Mr Quinby and current councillor Steve Hodson the ruling faction will remain intact, nothing will change and there will be at least two more years of smooth sailing for Mr Clynch.

So I would urge you to vote to make a difference…  don’t let the Shire clique continue to call all the shots and shun those who dare to object.  Put some new faces and new voices in there so we at least get some fresh ideas and debate on the issues.

Vote for Southwell, then Ms Boyle, Ms Davy and Ms Sandberg  

ps: I don’t have any more than a passing acquaintance with any of these ladies, have not ever discussed Council issues or the election with any of them and did not know they were standing until yesterday. But thank goodness they are.

Authorised by Michael Southwell, 24 Blackwood Park Road, Bridgetown WA 6255