Decision Time

To nominate or not to nominate, that is the question (with apologies to William Shakespeare).

Shakespeare had Hamlet go on to question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them.

As a current Councillor for the Town of Vincent, perhaps I'd better not go down that road!

But I have made my decision - and today submitted my nomination for the election to be held on 17 October. And this is the mugshot you will see on the 'candidate information' sheet that comes with your ballot papers - as you can see, 14 years in local government has turned my hair white and I've probably pulled it out in frustration at times.

Each candidate is also allowed up to 150 words to be included in the candidate information you will receive. That isn't very much, but here are mine (actually 149 words):

I am a proud Vincent resident and want you to feel the same. I have lived here for 24 years and been a Councillor for 14 years. I live and work in Vincent, so understand the aspirations of both residents and businesses. My four children attended Sacred Heart Primary School, Highgate, and I was active in keeping the school from closing in 1997. I have chaired the Town’s Local Area Traffic Management and Universal (Disability) Access Advisory Groups since their establishment, developing an inclusive and consultative approach to resolving issues for residents. Vincent is in good shape for the future and I will help ensure this continues - through making our town centres places for people and businesses, improving residential amenity, supporting quality development and working for better public transport to places other than the Perth city centre, including the University of Western Australia, QEII Medical Centre and Subiaco.

You can find more in earlier posts to this blog or you can contact me by e-mail (ian_ker@hotmail.com) or phone (+61 8 9328 8978).

The important decisions are those that are yet to come - the votes of each and every eligible resident, ratepayer and business owner.

I encourage you all to vote in this election.

With the reversion to 'first past the post' voting, each elector in the South Ward has two votes, as there are two positions to be filled.

The Town of Vincent uses postal voting to make it as easy as possible for you to vote. Ballot papers and information on candidates will be mailed out by the WA Electoral Commission from 23 September 2009, so you will have up to three weeks to mail back your completed voting papers, which must reach the Electoral Commission by Saturday 17 October.

If you do leave it late, you can deliver them to the Town of Vincent Civic Centre (cnr Loftus and Vincent Streets, Leederville) up to 6pm on Saturday 17 October.

I hope to be able to continue to serve the Vincent community to the best of my ability after 17 October.