Glen Innes Severn Council has received the resignation of Councillor Troy Arandale, who stepped down from his position effective immediately on Thursday morning.
Mayor Margot Davis acknowledged Cr Arandale’s contribution to Council during his almost five-year tenure, during which he also served as Deputy Mayor for a time.
“On behalf of Council, I would like to thank Councillor Arandale for his service over almost five years,” Cr Davis said. “Councillor Arandale served as Deputy Mayor for part of his term and, like all councillors, contributed time and effort to the role in service to the community.”
Cr Davis, who is currently on leave, said it was important to publicly acknowledge the resignation in her role as Mayor.
Cr Andrew Parsons also commented on the departure, saying, “It’s a shame that we see Troy’s resignation today. We have now lost two really good people who were making massive contributions to our council. It’s a shame to lose skill base and that ability from within the council chamber.”
Cr Arandale’s resignation letter, tabled at Thursday’s Council meeting, revealed significant criticisms of the current leadership and culture within Council. In the letter, he stated his decision stemmed not from a lack of commitment, but from “deep and growing concerns about the direction of this Council and my inability, in good conscience, to remain associated with decisions and conduct that I believe no longer serve the best interests of our region.”
Arandale’s resignation letter included a scathing assessment of Council’s current operations, describing the chamber as having “devolved into a loyalty-based system where dissenting voices are not only excluded but actively punished,” and claimed Council was “consumed by internal conflict and paralysed by poor leadership.”
Arandale concluded the letter by confirming his intent to stand again at the next Council election, framing his resignation as “an act of principle” rather than withdrawal. “Our community deserves better, and together we will achieve it,” he wrote.
Under current legislation, the NSW Electoral Commission will now conduct a countback election to fill the vacancy, using the ballot papers from the last ordinary Council election to determine which unelected candidate is next eligible for the position.
Two candidates from the 2024 election are eligible to nominate: Anne Vosper and Elena Weatherall. However, Weatherall has indicated she will not be nominating, citing other commitments.
“If I’m going to commit to something I want to make sure that I’m able to dedicate enough time and energy to it,” she told Glen Innes News. “I’m just not in a position to do that right now… but I might nominate for Council again some time in the future – I would love to have a voice at the table.”
This leaves Anne Vosper as the only eligible candidate. Should she choose to nominate, she would be declared elected to the vacant seat. If Vosper does not nominate, voters will be faced with the prospect of a by-election.
