The task of winning a place on Bathurst Regional Council has just got harder for new candidates, with eight of the nine incumbent councillors confirming they will seek re-election in September.
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Only Monica Morse has decided not to run again for council, instead choosing to retire after 13 years in the chamber.
And that could be bad news for new hopefuls, with history showing incumbents have a distinct advantage at the ballot box.
In the past two Bathurst Regional Council elections, held in 2012 and 2017, all incumbent councillors who sought re-election have successfully won back their spot inside the chamber. The only new faces have been elected to take the place of retiring councillors.
At least six of the incumbent councillors - mayor Bobby Bourke, deputy mayor Ian North and councillors Warren Aubin, John Fry, Graeme Hanger, Jess Jennings and Jacqui Rudge - also say they will run "tickets" of at least five candidates, with Cr Alex Christian again opting to go it alone as a solo candidate.
Running a ticket, or team, offers the advantage of "above the line" voting on the ballot paper which has, in the past, proven very popular among voters. Cr Christian was the only councillor elected in 2017 without running on a ticket.
The Western Advocate contacted each of the incumbent councillors to ask them about their intentions for September. Here is what they said:
Bobby Bourke
I've already said I'm running and I will be running a team, with a couple of prominent business people on my ticket.
I think the community is a lot smarter than some give them credit for and they won't just make their vote based on a go-kart track, they should be looking at us based on what we've done for the whole four years.
I'm not hearing too many negatives out there about our performance but people can be vocal if they want and they can protest, but it all comes down to the polling booth.
It's not an easy job as I've seen over the last 17 years, and particularly the last four years, but we need to have the right people there to focus on the whole community rather than just individual issues that they might not like about council.
If they're going to run, they need to listen to the whole community.
Warren Aubin
I wish there wasn't such a thing as tickets, to be honest, because they're a pain to organise and the reality is the number three, four and five candidates really haven't got a chance of being elected.
But at the election 50 per cent of votes are above the line so if you don't run a ticket you're likely to miss out.
I love being able to get a point across and I love being part of the traffic committee where I can put forward some information about what I know about roads.
There's still plenty to be done.
John Fry
I'm still planning to run but I'm all for seeing more women and younger people on council so if I thought there were enough candidates who share my views then I might reconsider.
At this stage, though, I will run as an independent rather than as a Greens candidate and I'll probably run a ticket.
I'm thinking maybe one or two of the current councillors will turn over but maybe not more than that. It's not in the nature of local government to have a lot of turnover.
Jess Jennings
I will be there with bells on. I think if there was to be some higher level of turnover then this would be the election it happens.
There has been a lot of dissatisfaction in the community about go-karts and ratepayers' money being wasted and incompetent project management, so if those sort of things have ticked people off then they may decide they want something better or more professional.
I think I will run a ticket but I haven't fully decided and I haven't started actively canvassing yet. But if there was ever a chance of me getting a second on council then this is my chance because of a potential backlash against "the five" so I think I would be silly not to run a ticket.
Graeme Hanger
Absolutely, I will have a team to run.
There's a lot of people out there who would love to do it but life gets in the way, people are busy.
I enjoy being involved in the community and meeting so many people over the years.
Alex Christian
I will definitely be going again, there's still plenty to do.
The biggest irritant for me in my first term has been cutting through the red tape from state and federal government but being on council has been a rewarding experience and I've really enjoyed it. At no stage have I thought I've made the wrong decision in running.
I will be running as a solo candidate again, I think it's a matter of principle and everybody should run on their own issues and make their own promises.
The ticket set-up allows some people to hide in a team knowing that's the only way they could ever get on council. For me it's live by the sword, die by the sword.
Jacqui Rudge
I'm running again and I will run a ticket because I have a group of people willing to support me and who are happy to be on my team to try and get me elected again.
My first term on council has been a real mixed bag but I think I've come out of it a lot wiser.
I also think it's important that we get more women on council and I'm more than happy to mentor them and help them to make it a bit easier for them.
Ian North
Deputy mayor Ian North, a veteran of 17 years on council, told the Western Advocate last September that he had no intention of retiring just yet.
Cr North is serving his 11th term as Bathurst deputy mayor, equalling the mark set by Dick Locke between 1981 and 1991, and says he still has more to give council.
"I feel as comfortable now as when I started back in 2004 doing the job. It's not tiring me. I love what I do because of the people and seeing Bathurst improve," Cr North said.
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