There were dramatic scenes at Kiama council’s administration building on Wednesday afternoon when Cr Neil Reilly was replaced as deputy mayor by Cr Warren Steel after a recount of Tuesday night’s ballot.
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Cr Reilly was declared deputy mayor on Tuesday night following a preferential ballot that included Cr Steel and Cr Mark Way.
However a recount on Wednesday afternoon by the general manager Michael Forsyth in the presence of the three candidates revealed that Cr Steel had won the ballot on preferences.
Cr Reilly had received four primary votes, Cr Steel three and Cr Way two votes, however it appears the second preferences of Cr Way’s votes both flowed to Cr Steel giving the veteran councillor a 5-4 victory.
Cr Reilly said he was ‘‘very disappointed’’.
‘‘At this stage there is nothing I can do, it appears all legitimate,’’ Cr Reilly said.
‘‘Warren Steel challenged the vote.
‘‘I have three engagements booked tomorrow [Thursday] as deputy mayor and I suggest Warren better attend those events.
‘‘I believed with the preferential vote first past the past would get it, and if it went to three votes each then it would then go to preferences."
Kiama council’s general manager Michael Forsyth said following the recount Cr Steel was declared deputy mayor, but the council would seek advice from the Office of Local Government regarding the formalities of the situation.
Cr Steel said on Tuesday night that he was ‘‘very disappointed’’, but contacted the Mayor Brian Petschler on Wednesday morning to challenge the vote.
‘‘In my mind on Tuesday night, I’d won the election, but if Í challenged at the time it would have sounded like sour grapes.
‘‘I’m a numbers guy, I’ve been involved in plenty of elections and as it turns out I was right.
‘‘I feel sorry for Neil but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.’’
Cr Reilly said he was disappointed with Greens councillor Andrew Sloan, whose second preference, after initially voting for Mark Way, was key to Cr Steel’s victory.
‘‘I’m disappointed in Andrew ... as a Green I’m surprised he preferenced Warren Steel above me.’’
Cr Sloan said he didn’t discuss how he would vote with anyone and would have been happy with any of the candidates.
‘‘I voted for Mark Way first, but Warren has been there 17 years, I just thought I would vote that way ... I think Neil would have been a good deputy mayor.’’
