Local Government Elections - Geraldton

I am really excited to see the strong field of candidates running for both Mayor and Councillor positions on our local Council in the October election. This is a very positive sign that there are people who are interested in our community, and prepared to step up and represent our ratepayers and residents.

However, as good as it is to have a competitive field that provides choice, what's just as important is for everyone in our community to step up and vote! 

At the last election, we saw voters rally and make a clean sweep of Council positions by installing a stable of new people to represent them. Since then we've seen two annual rate increases fall below what had previously been predicted. The City CEO and staff have responded well to this new direction of the Council with a good start to the process of reigning in costs. This is a process that needs to continue, and in my opinion, it may take up to another two years to get us to a position where we can say we have successfully streamlined City operations and we're running at peak performance for minimum cost to the community.

However, the community has a role to play in this by using its voting power to ensure the best possible candidates are elected to Council in October. We need to remember that decisions at Council are made by majority vote. So if the majority of councillors don't share the community's vision, the community loses out.

This October you will once again have the opportunity to influence the future direction of our City and District. So please take that opportunity, make your vote, and make it count.

I urge you study the candidates, consider what they have to offer and if they're contesting their own seat, think about what they've delivered in the past. Discuss your thoughts with others if it will help, and make informed choices that will give even more momentum to those councillors who've worked to constrain costs over the past coupe of years.

I wish all candidates good luck in the upcoming election, and I hope to see more councillors come on board to continue the work of bringing costs down while maintaining the range and quality of the essential services the community needs.

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing your votes roll in. I have great faith in the community's judgement.

David Caudwell (JP)
Councillor
City of Greater Geraldton
Chapman Ward
0459 216 000