Mornington Peninsula Shire councillors return tonight to try again to elect a mayor after the previous vote split 5-5.
Former mayor and Briars Ward councillor Anthony Marsh resigned from council after winning the state seat of Nepean.
Councillors tried to elect his replacement on 2 June, but no candidate secured an absolute majority.
Cr Paul Pingiaro will continue as Acting Mayor until councillors elect a new mayor.
Shire chief executive Mark Stoermer said council remained committed to a transparent election process.
“Deputy Mayor Paul Pingiaro will continue to serve in the role as Acting Mayor until a new Mayor is elected,” Mr Stoermer said.
Vote split twice
Only two councillors nominated at the last meeting: Cr Paul Pingiaro and Cr Stephen Batty.
Cr Batty received support from Crs David Gill, Michael Stephens, Max Patton and Patrick Binyon.
Cr Pingiaro received support from Crs Kate Roper, Cam Williams, Bruce Ranken and Andrea Allen.
The vote split 5-5.
Councillors adjourned, returned and voted again.
The result did not change.
Can councillors break the deadlock?
The Shire currently has 10 sitting councillors while the Briars Ward seat remains vacant.
That leaves council open to another 5-5 result if councillors vote the same way tonight.
The key questions are whether Cr Pingiaro and Cr Batty nominate again, whether another councillor puts their name forward, and whether any councillor changes their vote.
The mayoral vote comes at a significant time for the Shire.
The State Government has appointed municipal monitors to observe council meetings and governance processes, while councillors face major decisions across planning, infrastructure, housing, aged care and community services.
Tonight’s meeting will show whether councillors can break the split, or whether the Shire remains without an elected mayor.
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