DEAR News Of The Area,

DR Jan Strom’s comments of 12 Mar 2021 NOTA re representative democracy as it relates to the casting vote of the Chair, is unarguably correct.

Nevertheless, there is an additional relevant fact not included: voters elected nine councillors, an uneven number, the purpose of which is to avoid an equality of votes with its resulting necessity for the use of the Mayoral casting vote.

However Coffs Harbour City Council, for reasons best known to itself, seems to frequently be short of one councillor, leaving eight bodies instead of nine, resulting in an unfortunate repetition of ‘equality of votes’ situations.

Come September, with a reversion to the uneven number of nine councilors, the casting vote should become less frequently necessary and perhaps a little more reasonably used as maintenance of the status quo.

In order to maintain the ‘uneven’ balance however, it will be necessary for democratically elected councillors to attend meetings and vote, or resign and allow a by-election to fill their vacant position.

Regards,

Gwyn AUSTEN,
Red Rock.