Mornington Peninsula Shire Council has failed to elect a new mayor after councillors split 5-5 in two consecutive votes on Tuesday night.
Councillors met at Rosebud on 2 June 2026 to elect a replacement for former mayor Anthony Marsh, who resigned from council after winning the state seat of Nepean.
The result matched the deadlock scenario STPL News flagged before the meeting.
Cr Paul Pingiaro will remain Acting Mayor until councillors try again on Tuesday 16 June 2026.
Two Candidates, No Breakthrough
Only two councillors nominated for mayor: Cr Paul Pingiaro and Cr Stephen Batty.
Cr Batty told the meeting he wanted to encourage discussion across the council and represent the whole municipality.
“welcome, facilitate, and promote discussion and make the entire Mornington Peninsula the place to live”
Cr Pingiaro told councillors his focus would be stability, respectful leadership and inclusion.
“if elected my focus will be simple, respectful leadership, inclusion of all councillors”
Cr Pingiaro also emphasised the importance of stability, particularly halfway during the mayoral term, with an upcoming council by-election, the state election and the appointment of State Government monitors.
Vote Splits 5-5 Twice
In the first vote, Crs David Gill, Stephen Batty, Michael Stephens, Max Patton and Patrick Binyon backed Cr Batty.
Crs Paul Pingiaro, Kate Roper, Cam Williams, Bruce Ranken and Andrea Allen backed Cr Pingiaro.
The vote tied 5-5.
Council adjourned for 20 minutes, then returned and re-ran the vote.
The second vote produced the same result.
Crs Gill, Stephens, Patton, Binyon and Batty again backed Cr Batty.
Crs Roper, Ranken, Allen, Pingiaro and Williams again backed Cr Pingiaro.
The vote tied 5-5 again.
Council To Try Again
After a further five-minute adjournment, councillors returned and moved to set a future meeting for 6pm on Tuesday 16 June 2026.
The motion carried unanimously.
The Shire now remains without an elected mayor, with Cr Pingiaro continuing as Acting Mayor.
The deadlock came because the Shire currently has 10 councillors following Cr Marsh’s resignation. That even number left the council open to a 5-5 split if councillors divided evenly between two candidates.
Council will return on 16 June to try to resolve the mayoral vacancy.
The result comes at a significant time for the Shire, with State Government-appointed monitors in place and major decisions still ahead across planning, infrastructure, governance and community services.
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