Former councillor Mike Neville, after many long years and a stint as Griffith's first popularly elected mayor, won't be running for Griffith City Council in the upcoming elections.
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After he and his family relocated to Albury in 2017, he continued to attend meetings remotely and remained in his role as a councillor, but said that it was time to explore new things.
"I never intended to run following the 2016 situation simply because my wife and I relocated in 2017... I just believe it was time to move on, to be honest. If I was still in Griffith, I might have had a different approach but I'm comfortable with my decision," he explained.
He commented that he initially ran after receiving community support as a young man, and wanted to give back. Now that he'd done that, Mr Neville said that he was keen to see fresh blood in council.
"My view is that there's a time that people can commit to the task- Having now done it, I think we need to think about councillors doing a few terms and maybe a mandatory term off so that we have a turnover and a consistent enthusiasm for the task."
"At the end of the day, if you've been there for 20 years and haven't achieved what you wanted, what's four more?"
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Mr Neville had thoughts on the upcoming elections, and urged voters to really consider who they are voting for. He added that he was concerned that voting above the line could lead to a less capable council overall.
"I don't believe the community of Griffith should accept second-best. If you're not comfortable with each and every one in that group being competent, you need to look at voting for individuals ... That might mean you don't get your preferred candidate but it means you get the people who are best suited for the job," he explained.
"There are some really gifted new potential councillors in that pool, the challenge is for people to do the right thing and vote with their head."
For the incoming councillors, he encouraged them to focus on listening and to keep a focus.
"I think the only downtimes are the fact that sometimes, our efforts as a collective might not have met the needs of the people. The only way you find that out is by listening to people. That'd be something I'd encourage the next council to do ... that, and keep their eye on the ball of what council does. It's not about all the social issues in the world, it's about rates, roads and rubbish and making sure those key services are available."
"The social stuff is important in a broader sense, but you have to deal with the nuts and bolts."
He finished his reflections by describing his time as a privilege, and urged others to treat the job as the responsibility it is.
"You also get to meet people from all walks of life, with a range of issues and you get to help them, it's tremendously rewarding. It's a privilege to have had that opportunity, I'm eternally grateful to my family and my fellow councillors from the past and of course, to the community itself. I can't understate that enough."
"I just want to say thanks at the end of the day. It was a tremendous opportunity."
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