THE City of Gosnells has begun asking the public for opinions regarding becoming a multi-word council.
Since 2009 the City has no had wards, and former deputy Mayor Michael Devereux submitted a petition with 250 signatures to the City last December to return to the multi-ward system.
Currently, residents in the City of Gosnells area elect 12 councillors who then vote for the mayor.
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READ NOWPublic comment on the City’s review of its electoral arrangements opened on June 13 and closes July 29.
City of Gosnells chief executive Ian Cowie invited the public to voice their opinions.
“A final decision about the City’s electoral arrangements won’t be made until public consultation has been completed and the council has had an opportunity to consider the views expressed in submissions received,” he said.
Gosnells MLA Chris Tallentire has been pushing for the multi-ward system at the City.
“They don’t really have that sense of who the face is,” he said.
“I really think it is important that people do have some confidence in the political process.
“It’s pretty rare someone that wants to talk to me about royalty rates, but so often it is the local stuff.”
There are five metropolitan local governments with a single ward system, but Gosnells is by far the biggest in terms of elector numbers with 64,000; Kwinana is next with 17,000.