McIntosh mayor again, Rinaldi deputy

SAMANTHA McIntosh is the Mayor of Ballart for the third year running, and Jim Rinaldi is her new deputy, following a council meeting on Monday.

Both councillors were elected with a simple majority of their peers and both saw off challenges from others on council.

Cr Daniel Moloney and Cr Mark Harris both put in for the top job while Cr Belinda Coates nominated for the deputy role.

Yet the voting didn’t go beyond one show of hands for either position as both winners secured five votes first time, meaning no one needed to vote for the other candidates.

“I’m honoured and excited, as well, to be reelected as mayor of the City of Ballarat,” Ms McIntosh said.

Upon donning the mayoral robes and chain the freshly reminted mayor spoke about challenges and successes facing the municipality and growth in the region.

“All of this points to a city that’s thriving, that’s bold, that is a true regional capital to which our council plan aspires to.

“At the half way mark of this council’s term there is much to be proud of.”

She also spoke about the importance of family when in public life.

“It’s really important for us to recognise each of the councillors around the table here tonight have family and friends who support them and help them make wise decisions,” Ms McIntosh said.

While the City council isn’t required to elect a deputy mayor, they chose to, with Mr Rinaldi now taking over the job from Mr Moloney.

After his victory Mr Rinaldi briefly spoke about his goals for the job.

“I look forward to working alongside the mayor and my councillor colleagues to continue to achieve great success for out city of Ballarat,” he said.

After the meeting Mr Moloney was conciliatory about the challenge and subsequent result, which he said was a double edged sword.

“It’s understandably disappointing but on the same token Sam is one of the hardest working people I know, so I know that she’ll do an absolutely incredible year-three, as she has for the first two,” he said.

“The only disappointment really, I suppose is that the vote has gone exactly the same way, with the same people voting the same way for three years in a row now, so I suspect we are a one mayor council for now.

Following the vote Mr Harris, a self-described centrist, maligned the factionalisation of council members

“It’s a constituency of nine… and it doesn’t change over time,” he said.

“Increasingly councils, particularly larger regional councils, are perhaps beset by political groupings. So we’ve got a larger Liberal group… and because of that the decision making is rather closed, so you would have seen that in the voting.

“So when you see the voting for the mayor and deputy mayor, they are basically the alt-right candidates and they get the first round of voting and it’ll never change. So disappointment is perhaps not quite the word, it’s inevitable.”

As soon as Ms McIntosh was re-elected some sections of the crowded gallery broke into applause and cheering.

Following the voting the winners were presented with flowers while family members of Ms McIntosh and Mr Moloney also received gifts acknowledging their role in supporting the office holders.