Former Hills Shire Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne has won the pre-selection to run for the Shire’s top job of Hills Mayor as the endorsed Liberal Party candidate, beating current Mayor Dr Peter Gangemi by a reported 15 votes.
Candidates have been told by the State Liberal Party to make no comments until an official announcement of the preselection results are endorsed but it is understood that Dr Byrne received 149 votes and Dr Gangemi 134 votes. Dr Gangemi will remain as Hills Shire Mayor until the Local Government Elections on Saturday, September 14th.
The Labor Party endorsed Immanuel Selvaraj as its Mayoral candidate some months ago.
At Hornsby Shire Council where the Mayor is also elected by popular vote sitting Mayor Phillip Ruddock lost the Liberal preselection to Hornsby Councillor Warren Waddell 164 to 104 votes. The voting process and selection was conducted online.
Mr Ruddock, 81, has served as Hornsby Mayor since 2017. At Hawkesbury City Council the Mayor is selected by elected councillors.
Hills Shire residents have been able to elect the Mayor since the 2017 Local Government Election which is when Dr Byrne became the Shire’s first popularly elected Mayor.winning 61% of the votes.
There was disruption in the Liberal Party in the lead up to the Local Government Elections in December 2021 with the State Liberal Executive by-passing local branches and selecting the Liberal candidates for that election and Dr Peter Gangemi as the endorsed Liberal candidate for Mayor. Dr Gangemi was first elected as a Hills Shire Councillor in 2012 and was elected Mayor on December 4 2021.
This year the selection was made by Liberal branch members. Hills selectors voted on Tuesday, August 6th at a meeting in Castle Hill RSL’s Lyceum where they had to register at 6pm. The selectors were made up of 283 members from the Liberal Party branches that make up the Hills Local Government Conference.
There are reports that selectors did not leave the secure room until just before midnight when the final votes for Liberal candidates standing for positions as councillors were announced. Selectors voted to decide which candidates would take the top two Liberal spots on the Ward tickets (East, West, Central and North) after hearing from each one.
The NSW Electoral Commission opened nominations for candidates for the Local Government Elections on Monday, August 5th, the deadline for lodgement is 12 noon this Wednesday, 14th August. All Local Government Elections will happen on Saturday, September 14th.
Successfully nominated candidates will be published progressively on the NSW Electoral Commission website from Thursday, 8 August. A final list of candidates, in ballot paper order will not be available until after the ballot paper draws on Thursday, 15 August.
To find out who your candidates are visit https://elections.nsw.gov.au/. You can also check your enrolment details on the site and update your details. Voting is compulsory.
