Thursday 16 January 20 20
REFERENDUM TO BE HELD ON POPULARLY -ELECTED MAYOR
A referendum on whether City of Ryde residents want to vote for their own Mayor will be held later
this year.
Council resolved to request the NSW Electoral Commission to conduct a constitutional referendum
during this year’s local government elections in which voters will be asked whether they want a
popularly -elected Mayor.
If the majority of voters say yes in the referendum, the position of Mayor would be elected by the
public starting from the 2024 local government elections.
Under current procedures, the City of Ryde Mayor is elected by councillors every two years.
City of Ryde Mayor, Clr Jerome Laxale, said he supported the referendum and for the mayoral
position to be popularly -elected.
“A number of Sydney councils, including Hunter ‘s Hill and Hornsby, are well -served by having a
popularly -elected mayor and I think the time has come to ask the community for their views on the
matter,” Clr Laxale said.
“Personally, I believe that the decision as to who should be Mayor of our great City should be made
by the people and not by elected offi cials in some biennial ritual.
“I trust the people of Ryde to choose their l eader. Being Mayor is crucial for our city. It needs to be
treated more than a prize handed out every two years. ”
The NSW local government elections and the constitutional referendum will take place on Saturday.
12 September 2020.
