Forbes Shire Council have announced that Forbes residents will go to the polls on Saturday, May 9 to elect a new councillor to fill the vacancy left by Cr Ron Penny, who passed away in February.
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Council held a special meeting on Monday, March 2 to determine that a by-election would take place and how it would be done.
At the meeting, council resolved to use its own resources to conduct the by-election and to engage the acting general manager for Lachlan Shire Council, Alan McCormack to act as returning officer.
Mr McCormack has previously been returning officer on a number of occasions at Forbes as the Local Government Amendment Act requires that the returning officer be a person independent of council.
Forbes Shire Council’s general manager, Brian Steffen, will act as election manager.
Mayor Phyllis Miller said this was the cheapest option available to council.
“It’s a lot cheaper than doing it with the Australian Electoral Commission,” she said.
Usually the NSW Electoral Commission would run the election but they are currently tied up with the NSW state election.
Under the Local Government Amendment Act council must hold a by-election within three months of a councillor vacancy occurring. This election had to happen by May 21, 2015.
Mr Steffen said that, as with all elections, voting is compulsory.
“Because we are not coinciding with a state-wide general local government election there could be a lower awareness of the situation in Forbes,” he said.
“If you are enrolled on the NSW electoral roll and your address is within the Forbes Shire you will need to make arrangements to vote on May 9.”
Council will also be making provisions for both postal and pre poll voting in certain circumstances, with further details to be released in the coming weeks.
