POSTAL voting is expected to prompt greater than usual interest in polling from Perth businesses in the City of Perth ballot next month, a marked change from recent elections.
The many businesses and new inner-city residents expected to vote for the first time, face a bewildering choice from numerous candidates campaigning on similar causes.
With the added effect of a mid-poll Easter break, the result could well be a council quite different from that at present – one to force new outcomes on leadership, security, parking, inner city living, foreshore development and trading issues.
Vincent Tan, Michael Sutherland, Judy McEvoy and Bert Tudori will remain on council, but Jennifer MacGill will be missing, choosing not to stand for another term.
While not quite a Melbourne Cup field, this leaves three other female incumbents whose terms have expired, together with six new nominees, to stand for the four available councillor positions.
East Perth resident Lisa Scaffidi, who joined council on a by-election three years ago, has renominated, as has Janet Davidson, who also came in on a by-election, in February 1998.
Ms Davidson is also running for lord mayor this time, as are repeat hopefuls Tony Ransom and Bill Bradbury.
Although first-time nominees for the City of Perth, neither entertainer Max Kay nor Robert Butler is a novice in local government elections.
Mr Kay ran unsuccessfully against Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan in the north ward of the old City of Perth, while Mr Butler is a former Subiaco councillor.
Sharing costs, this pair is running with the support of councillor Tess Stroud, a renominee, and of Mr Tudori, Mr Sutherland and deputy Lord Mayor Ms McEvoy.
However five councillor nominees – including Messrs Ransom and Bradbury, Ms Scaffidi, The Reactor owner and former Cottesloe councillor Neil Scott, and Northbridge resident and activist Vivienne George – are adamant they are campaigning as independents.
