IPSWICH City councillors will vote on which path to choose to fill the Division 4 vacancy this week.
The vacancy arose last week, when first-term councillor, Dave Cullen, resigned.
Councillors can choose to hold a by-election or to allow the Electoral Commission Queensland to offer the position to the runner-up of the 2024 Division 4 election ballot –Russell Milligan.
Mr Milligan achieved 11,650 votes (22.59 percent of the vote), while Sue Dunne filled the last spot with 10,596 (20.55 percent).
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said she would vote against holding a $500,000 by-election.
“If a by-election was decided, the total cost of the election is paid for by Ipswich residents via council,” Cr Harding said.
“Council may have to delay up to half a million dollars’ worth of projects to pay for the by-election.
“This money could otherwise be spent on parks, roads and footpaths.
“This was a closely contested race between Mr Cullen and the next candidate, former Division 4 Councillor Mr Milligan.
“If 865 voters from the over 35,456 enrolled voters voted differently, then Mr Milligan would have remained a councillor.”
Cr Harding said the city needed a “cost-effective solution” that offered the “least amount of disruption to the representation of Division 4 residents”.
“Councillors will have to demonstrate to the people of Ipswich that their decision is transparent, fiscally responsible and in the public interest,” she said.
Karalee resident Mr Cullen resigned from his post at the weekend after a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes back in May.
The father of four, who owns and operates the Pro-Drive and Ace Driving schools and is a registered car dealer, lost his commercial driving licence and driver’s authority in May after the diagnosis.
“Losing my licence was a real blow, so I must work on getting my health fixed and getting my licence back,” he said.
“It is pretty tough to focus on your diet when you’re attending events and going to late night community catch-ups as part of the job.”
Mr Cullen said his short tenure with the council had been an eye-opener.
“It’s been a massive learning curve for me, which has been good,” he said.
“I realise now what a huge difference there is between what happens in the business world and what happens in council.”
Mr Cullen said his years behind the wheel of interstate trucks had taken a toll on his health.
“I didn’t take care of myself and, as a result, here I am now paying for it at an age where I’m not as strong as I was when I was 25,” Mr Cullen said.
“This has all been an enormous shock to me because I had thought for many years that I could do good things on the council.
“It is a great organisation and one that cops a bad rap.
“But let me say, there’s some really good people in there, and some of the things that people say in the community are really hurtful.”
The council meeting will be livestreamed on council’s YouTube channel, and open to the public, starting at 8.45am on Thursday.
