With Hawesbury City Council midterm elections for the position of Mayor and Deputy Mayor due in three weeks at the ordinary Council meeting on 8 September, political manoeuvring has begun as councillors position themselves for what is shaping up to be a closely contested leadership contest.
While no Councillors have announced their candidature or voting intentions, it is widely understood they are aligning into two broad voting blocs.
One bloc allegedly includes Deputy Mayor Sarah McMahon Liberal, together with councillors Amanda Kotlash Labor, Danielle Wheeler Greens, Mary Lyons-Buckett and the other People Not Parties Councillor Peter Ryan.
This cross-party alliance is allegedly expected to see Cr McMahon and Lyons Buckett share the Mayoral robes with each spending a year in the position before the next Council elections due in September 2028. Who will serve first is allegedly still to be decided.
Yes, we at the Gazette thought this was not allowed, but there is a precedent with Bart Bassett being Mayor from 2004 - 2006 then Dr Rex Stubb wore the Mayoral robes for one year 2006-07, before Bassett returned to the position in September 2007- 2008.
Cr McMahon and Lyons Buckett, along with Mayor Sheather formed the employment panel that chose the former Director of Infrastructure Will Barton to take over as General Manager. After a six-hour closed-door meeting to discuss their preferred nominee for the position, they succeeded in securing Council’s support for their choice.
They are now reportedly each engaged in a tussle for the title of Mayor with Mayor Sheather reportedly backing himself to retain the position.
The other bloc is Councillors Creed, Zamprogno and Djuric. To tie they would need support from the two Liberal Councillors Paul Veigel and Jill Reardon, leaving Cr Sheather with the decider vote. Mayor Sheather, a former One Nation supporter, has indicated in the past he will always support the Liberals.
But who are the Liberals in this tussle?
Councillors Veigel and Reardon, both who allegedly want to run for election to Council again, must weigh the internal politics of their party’s preselection process. Cr Zamprogno ultimately contested the 2024 election as an independent after not receiving Liberal endorsement.
The NSW Liberal Party is also dealing with political fallout from an ICAC investigation concerning alleged developer-donation issues in The Hills. No suggestion is made that any Hawkesbury councillor is involved in that investigation. However Liberal Councillors must be concerned about the Liberal brand being able to deliver four seats on Hawkesbury Council again.
The biggest unknown remains suspended Councillor Eddie Dogramaci.
Cr Dogramaci currently faces court proceedings relating to the expenditure of approximately $4,000 in council funds provided for the purchase of computer phone and printer equipment. He has pleaded not guilty and the matter is set down for hearing at the end of August.
If the proceedings are concluded before the mayoral vote and Cr Dogramaci is legally able to resume his Council duties, his vote could potentially become significant.
Cr Dogramaci has previously been a vocal critic of Deputy Mayor Sarah McMahon on a range of council matters.
The Hawkesbury Gazette does not suggest any connection between Cr Dogramaci's public criticisms and the proceedings before the court.
With numbers appearing finely balanced, every vote is likely to count.
For now, councillors are saying nothing publicly.
Behind the scenes, however, conversations are underway as alliances are tested for support ahead of what promises to be an intriguing contest between councillors who have on many occasions opposed one another.
