Council candidate calls on Mayor to resign

Jon Ward, a Woorree resident who ran for council in the Hills Ward, losing to Laurie Graham by 71 votes, has publicly called on the Mayor to resign early, and asked others to do the same.  

Mayor Ian Carpenter was elected to serve a four year term that ends in 2015, but Mr Ward believes the recent local election result shows the public wants a new mayor now. He says that because all sitting councillors that were up for election were not re elected, except for Shane Van Styn, the Mayor should take that as a sign he too should step down early. 

Only half of the CGG council were up for re election this year. The other half have another two years until their term ends.

Mr Ward, who was endorsed by the City of Greater Geraldton Ratepayers Demand Change Inc (CGGRDC) group, posted this message recently on the CGGRDC Facebook page:

"I have just sent a text message to Ian Carpenter, our inglorious Mayor, calling on him to fall on his sword now that the people have spoken and all sitting Councillors bar Shane Van Styn have been given the chop! If you feel so inclined Carpenter's mobile number according to thhe (sic) CGG website is 429 939527. (sic) Feel free to exercise your democratic right and likewise send him a message calling on him to resign. If enough people do hopefully the message will eventually sink in! And what a great result last night folks! Whilst I didn't get in this time I'm still rapt to have run a very close second! Maybe next time. Cheers all, JW."

Mayor Ian Carpenter has certainly come under fire in the last two years in particular over the rate increases, but people who work alongside him speak very highly of his work ethic and love for Geraldton and the wider community.  One of the CGG staff members, Kimi Chui, even told Mr Ward on Facebook to take his "private vendetta" elsewhere. 

Back in 2011 when the people in the City of Greater Geraldton voted for Mayor, Ian Carpenter won by quite a comfortable margin, receiving 36.71% of the vote. Graham Greenaway received 26.56%, Shane Hill 25.55%, and Terry O'Toole had 11.18%.  

While Mr Ward asks people to exercise their democratic rights, it can be hard to tell if the people who want Mr Carpenter to resign are a democratic majority, or a very vocal minority. Perhaps it a decision best left to a formal vote, rather than an informal protest.