Currently the mayor is elected by the councillors. However, Dubbo councillor Greg Mohr wants the process to change.

On Monday night at the Dubbo Regional Council meeting, Cr Mohr will introduce a motion for an investigation into the Dubbo local government area having a popularly elected mayor.

“The mayor has become a full-time position, they’re our representative 24/7 so the people should have that right to elect who they want to represent them rather than the councillors doing it,” Cr Mohr said.

It would also stop horsetrading, he said, and prevent councillors from getting pressured to vote a certain way, as councillor John Ryan was recently subject to.

Cr Mohr said it was something that should have been introduced in Dubbo years ago, however it may be years still before it becomes a reality.

To change the method of electing a mayor it may have to go to a referendum at the next local government election in three years time, Cr Mohr said. From there it would be another four years before a new mayor was chosen.

The councillor is also hoping to abolish the ward system.

“I want to put it back to what it was. It’s just too confusing and obviously wasn’t thought out very well,” Cr Mohr said.

“I didn’t mind the ward system as a concept, but in the end it totally lost me.”

Voters were disgruntled they were unable to vote for the candidates they wanted, Cr Mohr said, and the “stupid” ward names were confusing for both the population and the candidates.

“We may still need to have two wards with one in Dubbo and Wellington in another but I don’t think the Electoral board will allow that,” he said.

As part of his motion, Cr Mohr will request that council’s general manager Mark Riley presents a report on the possibility of abolishing the wards and having a popularly elected mayor to the November council meeting.