Are all councils elected the same way?

 

No, councils are not all elected in the same way.  Briefly:

Mayor: All the voters in the Hills Shire elect a mayor for a four year term.  But in some other local government areas, the voters elect only the councillors and the council then elects one of their number to serve as mayor for a two year term.

Councillors:  The Hills Shire is divided geographically into four council wards. Voters in each ward elect three councillors, for a total of 12 elected councillors.  But some other councils are undivided (no wards) and all the voters elect the councillors for the whole council area.

For example, Hawkesbury City Council is one of four council areas immediately adjacent to the Hills.  In Hawkesbury the mayor is not elected by popular vote.  And, in Hawkesbury, all the voters elect their twelve councillors for the whole council area.

The number of councillors also varies from one council to another.  Another adjacent council, Hornsby Shire Council, has nine councillors, three elected by each of three council wards.  Parramatta and Blacktown each have fifteen councillors, three elected by each of five council wards.

So what?  Do these differences affect the outcomes?

Democracy comes in many shapes and flavours and each system has its pros and cons.

But on the second question - yes, the electoral system most certainly can make a difference.  Take, for example, Hawkesbury City Council, where there are no wards.  In its last full council election in 2016, the following councillors were elected:

  • Liberal: 4

  • Labor: 2

  • Greens: 1

  • Other / independent: 5

By contrast, following the 2017 election the Hills Shire Council comprised:

  • Liberal: 11 (including the elected mayor)

  • Labor: 2

Yes, there are demographic differences between the Hills and Hawkesbury.  But if the Hills Shire Council was undivided, like Hawkesbury, we estimate that the votes cast in the 2017 election may have yielded a result something like this:

  • Liberal: 7

  • Labor: 3

  • Greens: 1

  • Other / independent: 1

The following table contrasts the composition of the Hills Shire Council with our neighbouring council areas:

Council

Elected

Popularly Elected

Mayor

Wards x Councillors

LIBERAL

LABOR

GREEN

IND/

OTHER









HILLS

2017

Liberal

4 x 3 = 12

10

2











HORNSBY

2017

Liberal

3 x 3 = 9

4

2

2

1









HAWKESBURY

2016

n/a

1 x 12 = 12

4

2

1

5









BLACKTOWN

2016

n/a

5 x 3 = 15

5

10











PARRAMATTA

2017

n/a

5 x 3 = 15

6

5

1

3









WILLOUGHBY

2017

IND

4 x 3 = 12



1

11









KU_RING_GAI

2017

n/a

5 x 2 = 10




10

More information:

We do our best, but if you see anything that is incorrect please let us know so that we can correct it.  You should refer to the NSW Electoral Commission for the latest and most authoritative information.

This blog and our Facebook page and our administrators are not associated or affiliated with any party or candidate standing in The Hills Shire Council elections in 2021.  Nor do we receive funding from any individual, party, institution or corporation.  Our very constrained expenditures are financed by the page administrators themselves acting in a personal capacity.  Our only interest is in a safe climate for current and  future residents of the Hills Shire.

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