WHEN Orange City Council’s 12 new councillors come together for their first meeting next Thursday, they will choose one from their ranks as the city’s mayor for the next year.
WHEN Orange City Council’s 12 new councillors come together for their first meeting next Thursday, they will choose one from their ranks as the city’s mayor for the next year.
The meeting will mark the end of an era for the city as it will be the last time councillors elect the mayor following a council election.
The results from last Saturday’s referendum are in and it is official - Orange voters will choose their own mayor at the next council election in 2016.
The yes vote attracted 13,414 votes or 62.29 per cent and the no vote only received 8122 votes, 37.71 per cent.
While the new system is popular among voters, many of the councillors-elect have spoken against the move.
From 2016 voters will elect a mayor for a four-year term as well as 11 councillors.
If the mayor decides to stand-down they cannot join the ranks of the council instead a bi-election will be conducted.
Of the 152 councils in NSW 33 directly elected their mayor as part of this year’s council elections.