ANALYSIS
Councillors will elect a mayor and deputy mayor on Tuesday, with Crs Les Sheather, Jill Reardon and Paul Veigel likely to hold the decisive votes.
Hawkesbury’s 12 councillors will elect a mayor and deputy mayor at Tuesday night’s council meeting in a vote that could reshape the political leadership of the city for the remaining two years of the council term.
The election is being held because Hawkesbury’s mayor is not directly elected by residents. The community elects 12 councillors, who then choose the mayor from among themselves.
Under section 230 of the NSW Local Government Act, a mayor elected by councillors ordinarily holds office for two years.
Cr Les Sheather was elected mayor and Cr Sarah McMahon deputy mayor following the September 2024 local government election. Their current terms are now coming to an end.
Cr Sheather was elected mayor on October 15, 2024. In the deputy mayoral election, Cr McMahon and Cr Mary Lyons-Buckett were tied at six votes each in the final round. Cr McMahon was elected when her name was drawn by lot.
Two years later, councillors will return to the chamber on Tuesday, September 8, to decide who will occupy the two leadership positions until the next council election in September 2028.
Why the voting method matters
Before electing the mayor and deputy mayor, councillors must determine how the elections will be conducted.
Under the Local Government (General) Regulation 2021, if more than one candidate is nominated, the election can be conducted by preferential ballot, ordinary ballot or open voting.
Hawkesbury Council’s Code of Meeting Practice permits Council to resolve that an election for mayor or deputy mayor be conducted by secret ballot.
In previous leadership elections, Hawkesbury councillors have used open voting, requiring each councillor’s preference to be publicly identified.
This year, however, there is a compelling case for a secret ballot.
Council has been operating against the background of serious councillor-on-councillor bullying allegations.
At the May 12, 2026 council meeting, Cr Mike Creed said he had experienced bullying and described its effect on his mental health. SafeWork NSW is examining those allegations.
No finding is suggested against any individual councillor, and the allegations must not be treated as established facts unless and until they are properly investigated and determined by the SafeWork NSW investigation or other relevant authorities.
Nevertheless, the existence and seriousness of the allegations create a legitimate concern about whether councillors could feel pressured, intimidated or fearful of personal consequences when casting a publicly visible vote.
Secret ballot essential for a fair election says Cr Dogramaci
Cr Eddie Dogramaci has called for the mayoral and deputy mayoral elections to be conducted by secret ballot.
Cr Dogramaci said his experience of the prosecution had shaped his view that councillors should be able to cast their votes privately. The remaining charge against him was dismissed after a hearing on August 25, 2026, with a not-guilty result.
Cr Dogramaci has previously criticised the involvement of former general manager Elizabeth Richardson and the positions taken by Mayor Les Sheather and Deputy Mayor Sarah McMahon in matters associated with those court proceedings.
The Gazette does not suggest that Ms Richardson, Cr Sheather or Cr McMahon conspired to have Cr Dogramaci charged, or that any court has made such a finding.
Cr Dogramaci said a secret ballot would allow councillors to vote according to their judgement without fear of political or personal repercussions.
There is normally a strong argument for open voting. Residents are entitled to know how their elected representatives make important decisions, and transparency is fundamental to democratic government.
However, transparency must be balanced against the need for a free and fair ballot, particularly when serious allegations of bullying between councillors remain part of Council’s unresolved governance environment.
A secret ballot would not conceal the names of the candidates, the election procedure or the result. It would protect only the individual choice made by each councillor.
If the reported voting blocs are firm, secrecy will not alter the result. If they are not, a secret ballot will allow councillors to exercise their independent judgement without fear of political or personal consequences.
Either way, the successful mayor should be able to take office knowing the result reflected the free choice of councillors rather than fear, pressure or factional discipline.
Sheather, Reardon and Veigel hold the key
The potentially decisive grouping of Councillor likely to decide the outcome of the election are Mayor Les Sheather and Councillors Jill Reardon and Paul Veigel.
Their votes are likely to determine the result.
If the five councillors associated with the McMahon–Lyons-Buckett grouping remain together, they need two more votes to secure an outright majority.
The four councillors in the second grouping Cr Creed, Zamprogno, Djuric and Dogramaci would need three more.
That makes Cr Sheather, Cr Reardon and Cr Veigel the central figures in Tuesday night’s numbers game.
Cr Sheather may seek to retain the mayoralty. If he does, the election could become a three-way contest rather than a straightforward vote between two competing tickets.
Cr Reardon and Cr Veigel also face a politically difficult choice. Both were elected as Liberal councillors, as were Cr McMahon and Cr Creed, while Cr Zamprogno contested the 2024 election as an independent after not receiving Liberal endorsement.
Party affiliation, however, does not necessarily determine how a councillor will vote in an internal council election.
Each councillor casts their vote in their capacity as an elected representative and is entitled to support the candidate they believe is best able to lead Council.
More than a ceremonial position
The mayor chairs council meetings, represents the Hawkesbury at civic and government functions and plays an important leadership role during emergencies and periods of controversy.
The mayor also works closely with the general manager, helps establish the tone of the chamber and can influence whether councillors are encouraged to participate respectfully or whether political divisions deepen.
The deputy mayor assumes mayoral responsibilities when the mayor is absent and can become an important source of stability or political challenge within Council.
Against the background of Council’s recent controversies, workplace investigations, leadership changes and strained relationships, Tuesday’s vote is about more than who wears the mayoral robes.
It is a decision about what kind of leadership Hawkesbury Council will have for the final two years of its term.
If councillors support a secret ballot, the community may not know how any individual councillor ultimately voted. What it will know is who emerged with the confidence of the chamber and whether that confidence was given freely.
