Western Advocate editorial: July 4, 2021 | Is the time right for deputy to take top job?

Ian North has taken the reins as acting mayor ahead of an election to be held at an extraordinary meeting within the next week or so and he is probably the favourite to be formally handed the role until September.

But other councillors are likely to be eyeing the mayoral robes as well.

The most obvious candidate would be Jess Jennings who was defeated by Bobby Bourke in a 5-4 vote at the last mayoral election in September 2019.

Cr Jennings' supporters for that vote were Monica Morse, Jacqui Rudge and John Fry but even if that bloc remains steadfastly behind him he will still need to find that extra vote to secure the role.

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From the outside looking in, Cr Graeme Hanger looks the one most likely to consider switching but, as a former mayor himself, Cr Hanger might also have his sights set on the top job.

But to do that he would need to convince Cr North he should remain as the deputy and, after 11 terms in that position, it's hard to see Cr North taking a back seat again when the job he has wanted for so long now appears well within his reach.

So, as was the case when Cr Bourke was elected as mayor, this vote might not come down to a question of who most councillors believe is best-suited for the job but, rather, who most councillors believe is least-suited for the job.

Cr Jennings could not convince Cr Hanger to give him his vote in September 2019 and they have been on opposing sides of most crucial votes since then, so what would have changed now?

Cr Hanger lost the top job because too many councillors had lost confidence in his ability to be a strong leader of the council and because too many of them felt they had effectively been sidelined from all decision-making. Again, what could have changed now?

That leads Cr North in the box seat and he will take the mayoral reins if councillors Bourke, Hanger, Warren Aubin and Alex Christian - council's "famous five" throughout the go-kart track drama - are happy to vote as a bloc this one last time.

There is no current councillor more passionate about the Bathurst region than Cr North and no councillor has served a longer apprenticeship inside the chamber.

It might finally be his time.