Choosing a mayor out of a hat may not be the best solution, but having an uneven number of councillors will not make a difference according to Walgett mayor David Lane.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Twelve of the state's 152 councils drew the name of their mayor out of a hat this year following a voting deadlock, including Coonamble Shire Council, Forbes Shire Council, Walgett Shire Council and Wellington Council.
In response the NSW government is now considering a proposal to require councils to have an odd number of councilors.
However, of the 12 deadlocked councils, five already have an uneven number of councillors.
Walgett Shire Council has nine councillors but Cr Lane was elected to mayor via lucky dip. Councillor Ian Woodcock was absent from the meeting, resulting in four votes apiece for Cr Lane and Cr Bill Murray.
"We've had draws out of a hat when we've had even and we've had draws out of a hat when we're uneven," Cr Lane said.
"Doing it out of a hat, it sounds rough, it sounds a bit shonky really but I can't think of any other method.
"Maybe if it's a draw the incumbent mayor stays, but that's not really fair on the challenger."
Local Government Minister Paul Toole said "voting should occur as democratically as possible".
"What is important is that the community has confidence that the procedure followed by the council is undertaken in a fair manner reflecting the interests of the community," Mr Toole said.
Cr Lane said while the lucky dip approach was not an ideal solution, he could not think of another way.
"Maybe they could have a different method from doing it out of a hat, a process so it's not open to abuse but I don't know what that would be," he said.
Local Government NSW president Keith Rhoades said mandating an uneven number of councillors was the best way to reduce deadlocks.
"Personally, I have no issue if the government was to legislate that, I don't think anybody would," he said.
"As long as, if it's a council of eight, it should go to nine, not back to seven, because let's not forget the most important thing here is community representation."