If you're thinking of joining council for the money, think again, says Dubbo councillor Vicki Etheridge.
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The local government elections will be held on Saturday, September 4. In Dubbo, ten councillors will be elected, five from each ward.
Registrations for the elections are now open and although they don't close until Wednesday, August 4, there is currently no one who has officially but their hand up to stand for Dubbo Regional Council.
Cr Etheridge, who has served in Dubbo since 2017 and on Warren Shire Council before that, said she "absolutely" recommends running for local government. She's especially hoping to see more women and Indigenous people register.
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"If you think you've got what it take, if you've got the time for it and you've got the passion for your community, you should absolutely give it a go," she said.
"Don't stand if you want to stand for political reasons, do it if you want to stand for your community."
Cr Etheridge, who estimates she does about 20 hours of council work a week, has also cautioned against people who run because of the money.
In Dubbo, councillors are paid $24,320, plus more if they're elected as mayor.
"I think the Maccas guys get paid more than what we do. We certainly don't do it for the money," Cr Etheridge said.
Mayor Stephen Lawrence has also encouraged people to have a shot at council.
"People need to be aware that in the previous election there were a lot of wards that weren't that hotly contested. It would be really good to see every ward hotly contested and it would be great to get a council that is as representative and diverse as possible," he said.
He said anybody who was considering running for council should give either himself or one of the other councillors a call to discuss what it was like.
"It's been quite challenging. It's been extremely interesting. It tests you at different times but I've had a really positive experience," the mayor said.
Cr Etheridge has already indicated she would like to run again this election, however Cr Lawrence remains unsure.
"I think this council has done some amazing work, we've achieved so much in the last four years, we've achieved so much for the Wellington community and we're still working very hard on the Wellington community to try and bring it back to the pretty little town that it used to be," Cr Etheridge said.
Register for the election via elections.nsw.gov.au.
While the registration period is already open, the nomination period doesn't start until Monday, July 26.
Are you running for Dubbo Regional Council? Email orlander.ruming@dailyliberal.com.au.