2021 Council Elections
The Local Government elections took place on Saturday 4 December 2021.
The elections were administered by the NSW Electoral Commission and voting was compulsory for people enrolled in the City of Ryde Local Government Area.
City of Ryde Constitutional Referendum
In conjunction with the Council Elections that were held Saturday 4 December 2021, the City of Ryde held a constitutional referendum on the following:
Do you support a popularly elected Mayor where the voters of the City of Ryde elect the Mayor for a four (4) year term, thereby adopting a thirteen (13) Councillor model (including the Mayor)?
Voting in the constitutional referendum was compulsory for all residents on the Electoral Roll.
The outcome for the referendum was:
Results from the Council election can be viewed at NSW Electoral Commission.
Referendum For and Against cases
The case FOR and AGAINST the referendum question is contained below to assist voters in making an informed decision.
|
REASONS YOU MAY VOTE NO
(KEEP THINGS THE SAME)
|
REASONS YOU MAY VOTE YES
(CHANGE WHAT WE DO NOW)
|
| Mayoral elections will be at an additional cost to Council every four years. |
The position of Mayor, as the leader of Council, should be determined directly by the voters. |
| As local government elections are not publicly funded, financially resourced candidates may have an advantage. |
Popular election of the Mayor could give predictability about the style and direction of the Council leadership for a period of four years. |
| Popularly elected Mayors are elected for four years. Other elected Councillors should have an opportunity to lead the Council. |
The Mayor would be able to provide leadership to the strategic directions and long-term planning and policy setting (over a longer term than currently is the case). |
| The elected Council should elect their leader and not have one imposed on them who may not have the experience that their peers see as necessary and who they consider they are not able to work constructively or cooperatively with. |
Election of the Mayor by the people could reduce conflict between Councillors during the time leading up to the election of Mayor. |
| Councillors should have the option of assessing the Mayor on a biennial basis and be able to change that person if she/he does not perform to expectation, or if conflict develops. |
A popular election of Mayor would give residents an opportunity to consider Mayoral candidates' policies and vote accordingly. |
| A popularly elected Mayor and his/her planning and policy directions, views and actions may not have the support of the majority of councillors. |
Popular election of Mayor would make the position of Mayor more accountable to residents |
| There would be nothing binding the Mayor to carry out the promises made as a Mayoral candidate in the lead up to the election |
The possibility of a Mayor being elected "out of the hat" is avoided in the event of two or more Councillors receiving equal votes from their peers. |
Voting Information
Voting Eligibility
If you're a resident of the City of Ryde, you can check your enrolment details are up to date with the Australian Electoral Commission.
To find out which Ward you're in, search for you address on our online map or see the PDF maps below:
More information
To find out more about the election, key dates and to sign up for election reminders, visit NSW Electoral Commission.