Mark Jeffreson is running for election to Wagga council to build on the Labor Party's record in the city's local government.
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Mr Jeffreson, aged 64, is a business owner and has lived in Wagga since 1987 and he said whether or not that made him a Wagga local "depends who you talk to".
"We're in a bit of a COVID pause at the moment; it's a business consultancy that we are running," he said.
Mr Jeffreson is running as the fourth candidate on the ballot for Labor's Group B.
"Labor has had a good record on council and it would be great if we could get more people on to the council and I'm just trying to play my part in that," he said.
"We're going out and putting Labor positions to voters and then voters can decide who they want on the council."
Mr Jeffreson was preselected by Labor as its candidate for the Riverina electorate at the 2019 federal election.
There's no secret about who we are, we are representing the Labor Party and the Labor Party values. That gets some people a little bit critical but we are saying who we are and people can decide who they vote for.
- Wagga council candidate Mark Jeffreson
"There's no secret about who we are, we are representing the Labor Party and the Labor Party values," he said.
"That gets some people a little bit critical but we are saying who we are and people can decide who they vote for."
Mr Jeffreson said he was campaigning on the need to make progress on a technology hub for Wagga.
"Personally, I'd like to bring up the technology hub that has been brought up from time to time; technology hubs are springing up in regional Australia all over the place and we don't really have much of a position there and we don't have long to get one," he said.
"It will probably happen over the next five to 10 years and if we miss it, we might not get another chance at it.
"It would be a good thing for the economy, bring more professional people to Wagga and provide employment and ideas ... there's no reason why we shouldn't get the benefits."
Mr Jeffreson said one thing he would change on the council would be to secure more "urban canopies".
"We used to be a quite a garden-like city but around the suburbs, not so much anymore." he said.
"I think a program of urban canopies would be a benefit to the city economically, increase property values and be good for the communities that don't get much protection from the elements.
"We are going to get hotter and hotter summers and walking around in the suburbs you can feel that blazing heat and there's not a lot of protection."
As the fourth candidate on the ballot for Labor, Mr Jeffreson agreed it would be a fight for him to get on council.
"It would be great it we got five [candidates on council] but that's probably not statistically likely, but that's up to the voters," he said.
In the lead up to this year's election, The Daily Advertiser has profiled the candidates looking to secure a spot on Wagga City Council.
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