Ms Skinner fell short by three votes to Mark Windram, who claimed the second councillor position in the Banksia ward.
‘I was disappointed to lose so narrowly but I think the community wanted new faces on council,’ she said.
An original Town of Victoria Park councillor, Ms Skinner served for more than 18 years and said helping save the Victoria Park swimming pool in the mid-2000s was her enduring memory.
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READ NOW‘Swimming pools don’t make money but are an important community facility. It is really important for Victoria Park to have its own pool and the facility has been a part of the area for more than 50 years.’
Propelling the Victoria Park area into an arts hub had been an important transformation, she said.
‘I have been a supporter of public art and it has helped the area become more interesting,’ she said.
As the only councillor to recently vote against amalgamation with City of South Perth, Ms Skinner was concerned about the potential impacts of larger local governments.
‘I think councils need to be local and should not be bigger than federal or state electorates,’ she said.
‘Councils should have less than 50,000 residents.’
After apparent voter apathy during the local government elections, Ms Skinner believed councillors needed to be proactive to better connect with the community.
‘Councillors need to be active and engaged with the community,’ she said.
Ms Skinner said she would remain active in the community.