Media release – City of Hobart, 26 April 2024

Nominations for Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor

The City of Hobart has received four nominations for the position of Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor as at close of nominations today.

The position became vacant following the resignation of former Councillor Helen Burnet.

The nominees for Deputy Lord Mayor are:

Alderman Louise Bloomfield

Councillor Zelinda Sherlock

Alderman Marti Zucco

Councillor Will Coats

As there are multiple nominees for the position, a ballot will be held at Monday’s council meeting as required by the Local Government (General) Regulations 2015.

The Chair will suspend standing orders at the appropriate time to conduct the ballot.

Each nominee will have three minutes to present their candidacy to the Council.

An elected member, not a candidate, will preside over the meeting during the ballot process.

To appoint a Deputy Lord Mayor, the following steps will be followed:

  1. Each elected member, whether a candidate or not, will receive a ballot paper listing all candidates in alphabetical order.
  2. Voting will be done by secret ballot, with each elected member selecting one candidate.
  3. Votes will be counted in a separate room, with a scrutineer present.
  4. If no candidate receives a simple majority and there are more than two candidates, the candidate with the fewest votes will be excluded, and a new ballot will be held with the remaining candidates.
  5. In case of a tie between two or more candidates, the candidate to be excluded will be determined by drawing or casting lots.
  6. The Chief Executive Officer will declare the successful candidate elected as Deputy Lord Mayor.