THE mayor of Wagga council could be elected by the residents instead of the councillors depending on the result of a new referendum.
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It was decided by councillors to hold a constitutional referendum at next year's local government elections where voters will be asked whether the mayor should be popularly elected.
Wagga councillor Paul Funnell, who initiated the notice of motion, said he was in receipt of many requests from the public who wanted the opportunity to select the mayor.
"People have lost the trust in the elected leaders ... rightly or wrongly, they have been disengaged," he said.
"Let's put it to the people and let them have a choice."
As it stands, the mayor of Wagga is elected by the councillors for a two-year term. A popularly elected system, which is currently used in Griffith, would extend the term to four years and be decided by the residents at each election.
Griffith resident Carmel La Rocca said the popularly elected system has been "frustrating" at times for her community, but it does have its merits.
It comes down to "the quality of the candidate", she said, but if they struggle to secure the mayoral position by a wide margin of votes then she suggested it was a sign the winner might not be successful.
Ms La Rocca said it was "difficult to say" if a similar voting process could work for the city of Wagga.
"I think it is a matter for residents to do their homework and consider the pros and cons to see if it stacks up," she said.
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The NSW Electoral Commission had previously advised the council that the referendum will cost $47,000 to hold, and if voters choose to have a popularly elected mayor this sum would be recurring at each local government election moving forward.
Wagga mayor Greg Conkey said the process was "not cheap," but the councillors decided to find out whether the attitude of the community has changed since the last referendum about eight years ago.
He said the council intends to roll out an education campaign prior to the election to ensure the community fully understands the decision they make.
Cr Dan Hayes said a referendum based on "uninformed votes" could be "problematic" for the city.
"For a referendum to be useful it is not just a result. There has to be a campaign explaining what the referendum is ... and make sure enough voters are aware of the pros and cons of their choices," he said.