Council election update – Monday 30 March

By Jeremy Sollars

Postal votes are still coming in for the 2020 Southern Downs Regional Council election and while Vic Pennisi is still maintaining a strong lead of just over 1700 votes ahead of Tracy Dobie in the mayoral race he has not yet declared victory, nor has Tracy Dobie conceded defeat.

As of this afternoon – Monday 30 March – the mayoral tally is as follows –

• Vic Pennisi 9054 (44.63%)

• Tracy Dobie 7346 (36.21%)

• Peter Kemp 2897 (14.28%)

• Joe Doepel 988 (4.87%)

It is understood at least 1000 postal votes are yet to arrive for both mayor and councillor and the Electoral Commission of Queensland allows 10 days for postal votes to arrive – as in next Tuesday 7 April being the cut-off.

It is also understood Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is pushing the Electoral Commission of Queensland to finalise mayoral votes across Queensland as a matter of urgency due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Tracy Dobie has not returned calls to the Free Times either late today or late yesterday, Sunday. She did not take part in a daily council COVID-19 video update with council CEO David Keenan posted on the council’s Facebook page this afternoon, as she has done in previous days.

COUNCILLOR COUNT…

On the councillor side of the ledger Ross Bartley continues to storm ahead with his vote now at 8613. The position of deputy mayor does not automatically go to the councillor with the highest vote – the councillors vote for the deputy’s spot among themselves – but it is understood Bartley is the prime chance for that role.

The top seven spots in the councillor count have been fairly consistent during the count so far with a few changes in ranking – spot ‘8’ has been up and down and late yesterday was held by Glyn Rees, however Stanthorpe-based candidate Stephen Tancred dropped into eighth place earlier today after polling strongly in the Stanthorpe pre-poll, with many of those votes counted today, Monday.

Three current councillors – Rod Kelly, Yve Stocks and Marika McNichol – are as of late today at 11, 14 and 16 respectively.

As of late today, here are the following standings on the councillor ballot – eight to be elected –

CURRENT TOP 8 –

• Ross Bartley 8613

• Cameron Gow 7606

• Jo McNally 7535

• Andrew Gale 7365

• Sheryl Windle 7267

• Marco Gliori 7004

• Cynthia McDonald 6890

• Stephen Tancred 6732

THE CURRENT 9 – 26 –

• Glyn Rees 6521

• Russell Wantling 6495

• Rod Kelly 6411

• Michael Jensen 6187

• Julie Keogh 5844

• Yve Stocks 5827

• Amanda Harrold 5781

• Marika McNichol 5309

• Max Hunter 4865

• Greg Grant 4683

• Sue Laws 4466

• Marion Carrick 4195

• Scott Christensen 4161

• Paola Cabezas 4034

• Barbara Marsden 3712

• Robert Ettery 3334

• Jenn Greene-Galloway 3321

• Gregory Johnson 2340

UPDATES TO FOLLOW ……..