By Darren Coyne
Lismore’s new mayor Isaac Smith will know by the end of today whether he will lead a council dominated by progressives or conservatives.
After taking 10,596 votes to win over his nearest rival, Greg Bennett, who scored 8,609 votes, Mayor Smith has told the Echonetdaily that hospital parking would be the number one issue to address once the new council was settled.
Data entry will continue today and ‘the button’ on the electoral computer is expected to be pushed at 4pm this afternoon, according to returning officer John Arthur.
Within moments, the computer will allocate preferences from each candidate, indicating the make-up of the new council.
Believed to be the youngest mayor ever elected in Lismore, Cr Smith is also expected to lead a council with the largest number of women ever elected.
Councillors guaranteed a spot include Elly Bird from Our Sustainable Future, a first time councilor who has been active in the anti-CSG movement, Country Labor representatives Darlene Cook and Eddie Lloyd, Greens councillors Vanessa Ekins, National Party-aligned Independent Neil Marks and former Lismore council engineer Bill Moorhouse, Shooters and Fishers Party member Greg Bennett and his second Nancy Casson.
The final two seats will be decided on preferences between the Greens Adam Guise, Christian Democrats-aligned Gianpiero Battista, and conservative Matt Scheibel.
Cr Smith said it was expected that Battista would take one of the seats and ‘it’s anybody’s guess who will take the last, but the odds are on another Green (Adam Guise)’, he said.
Either way, Mayor Smith said he was confident that he would be able to work with whoever was elected and was looking forward to a cooperative council.
He said hospital parking was the hot issue that needed to be resolved quickly, and he planned to meet with senior health management next week.
He also said with five or six brand new councillors, it would take some time for everyone to settle into their new roles.
For now though, a celebration was in order.
He will join the other progressive candidates from the Greens and Our Sustainable Future at a party at the Lismore City Bowling Club tomorrow evening.
Meanwhile, as promised, popular outgoing mayor Jenny Dowell, has disabled her Facebook account this morning in preparation for her retirement from public life.