A motion to switch titles from alderman to councillor, in line with most other Tasmanian councils, has gone down in flames at Glenorchy City.
Molly Kendall’s motion attracted just one other vote in favour from colleague Harry Quick, after she argued the term alderman is “old-fashioned and colonist”.
“Darwin City Council, which was the only other mainland city council that still uses the term alderman, has, in 2022, given up the term,” said Cr. Kendall, who under local government regulations is already able to identify as a councillor.
“We represent a council, and ‘councillors’, is to me synonymous, rather than this antiquated title of ‘alderman’, which is non-existent in 98 per cent of councils across Australia,” said Cr. Quick.
Deputy Mayor Sue Hickey told attendees council has bigger fish to fry.
“This is a motion which has tied up officer time to research…at a time when our city has faced some of the most awful, significant financial challenges to meet its commitment to ratepayers,” she said.
“The huge disadvantage we have in our community…we have a seriously out-of-control youth behavioural problem, the council is caught up in a debate about what we’re going to call ourselves, and I think that’s unecessary and has brought us some very negative public commentary.”
Image: Kelvin Ball
