Cr Bill Ronald with his ‘campaign manager’, Pakenham barber Graham Treloar. CARDINIA Shire Council will meet on Monday to elect its mayor, with Pakenham ward councillor Bill Ronald tipped as the man most likely to lead.
The meeting on 5 December follows the swearing in of councillors this week and will also see council decide its remuneration and committee positions.
Cr Ronald said he would definitely put his hand up for the mayor’s job and was confident he had the support of the majority of his colleagues.
He said it was possible he could be unopposed in his bid for the mayoralty.
Cr Graeme Legge and Cr Kate Lempriere are both former mayors while Cr Doug Hamilton has also stood previously for the position, but it remains to be seen whether any of the trio will stand.
It is unlikely the three new members will put their hands up for the position and all are believed to have expressed their support for Cr Ronald.
“I’ve got the numbers, no doubt about it,” he said.
The Central Ward councillor, a former mayor of Pakenham Shire, said there was a strong feeling of optimism in the community as a result of the election.
He said residents had not seen him perform to the best of his ability as a councillor, particularly in the previous council term.
Cr Ronald said he believed he had the vision and the support to be a strong leader. He said his aim as a councillor would be to “return council to the community”. Cr Ronald said he advocated an open style of governance and forecasted a number of possible changes to meeting procedure.
The long-serving councillor paid tribute to his support crew including his family and ‘campaign manager’ Graham Treloar.
Mr Treloar, a barber and long-serving contributor to events such as the Yakkerboo Festival and organisations such as the Pakenham Town Hall and Pakenham Football Club, was this year named Cardinia Shire’s Citizen of the Year.
Mr Treloar said Cr Ronald’s praise for him was undeserved, but that comment was brushed aside by Cr Ronald as ‘typical’ of the man fondly known as ‘Uncle’.
