Doug Curran has been re-elected as Griffith City Council's deputy mayor after a nail-bitingly tight race between himself and Councillor Anne Napoli.
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The election was won by the narrowest of margins on Tuesday, with six councillors casting their votes for Cr Curran and five showing their support for Cr Napoli.
It became a two-horse race when Cr Glen Andreazza decided not to run at the last minute, instead throwing a curveball into the proceedings by suggesting that council go without a deputy entirely.
He argued council could function more flexibly without a deputy, and that the mayor could instead delegate different tasks to whomever he or she deemed the most suitable.
"It would be a way forward for council," Cr Andreazza said.
Cr Curran applauded Cr Andreazza for bringing some new ideas to the table, however he and all the other councillors voted against the motion.
Council went ahead with the election, which was held by secret ballot despite calls from Cr Napoli for a public vote.
"For the sake of transparency I'd like to see a show of hands," Cr Napoli said.
"What do we have to hide?"
Councillors Rina Mercuri, Brian Simpson, and Deborah Longhurst supported the idea for an open vote, however it was voted down by the rest of council.
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The secret ballot went ahead, and Cr Curran emerged victorious with six votes.
Cr Curran said he was looking forward to getting stuck into his duties as deputy mayor, saying he had a busy year ahead of him.
"There's a lot of outside money coming into town and there's a lot of work being done," Cr Curran said.
"With Yambil Street, the sporting precinct and the pool, it's going to be a really busy 12 months."
Cr Curran said he had his eyes on the position of mayor, which will be up for grabs once the next general election is held in September next year.
Cr Napoli congratulated Cr Curran on his win, and she said she was confident he'd do a good job.
"I'm really happy for Doug - he's got the experience, he's got the passion, and I know he'll continue doing his very best for our community," she said.
Cr Napoli said she'd also continue doing her best for Griffith, both in her role as councillor and also as an active member of the community.
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
