Council favours mayoral postal by-election after “chaos of Jos era”
REDLANDS is in political turmoil after Jos Mitchell’s shock resignation triggered a compulsory mayoral by-election, with Redland City Council now moving to make it a full postal vote over Christmas.
Ms Mitchell says serious health problems, threats and sustained attacks on her family forced her from office.
But her exit has exposed a bitter divide, with Acting Mayor Julie Talty admitting she cannot simply phone her predecessor and Cr Paul Gollé declaring the public has heard only “one side” of the story.
Cr Talty said she had not spoken to Ms Mitchell since her October 28 resignation because the former mayor’s private contact details were not available to Council.
“Jos has a private email address and a private telephone number,” Cr Talty told ABC Brisbane.
“She doesn’t share those and so the official channels that we would normally use to communicate are not open to us.
“So, we’re just doing the best we can.”
Asked whether she had the personal relationship with Ms Mitchell to ring her directly, Cr Talty was blunt.
“No, I don’t.”
The extraordinary admission followed the end of Ms Mitchell’s six months of medical leave, bringing a turbulent two-and-a-half-year mayoralty to an abrupt close.
Elected in 2024 on a platform of transparency, accountability and better planning, Ms Mitchell said she had hoped to reset Redlands politics.
Instead, she said, the job became unbearable.
“There have been threats, continuous accusations and harassment,” she said in her resignation statement.
“Our family’s cars have been vandalised, we’ve had a drone hover over our backyard, and my husband and our daughter have been targeted online.”
Ms Mitchell said she had been the subject of about 70 Office of the Independent Assessor complaints after a callout on an anonymous political Facebook page.
She said all complaints addressed by investigators had been unsubstantiated.
In an emotional interview with 9 News, the former police prosecutor said the scale of the attacks had surprised her.
“I think anyone that’s been watching along closely for some time through the campaign knew it was going to be a very difficult period,” she said.
“But I was surprised, yeah. I am surprised.
“And I think, in light of the current environment and what we’re seeing right across the country, enough’s enough. It’s gone too far.”
Ms Mitchell said major surgery and an autoimmune condition had affected her health after she collapsed at work earlier this year.
“The dialogue while I was away, and the realisation that what is essentially relentless scrutiny … wasn’t fair for my health and my family,” she said.
In the end, she said, it was time to “focus on health” and “pass the baton to someone else”.
But Cr Gollé says the resignation should not simply be framed as a workplace-bullying story.
“The Redlands deserves the whole story, not just one side of it,” he said.
In a blistering statement, Cr Gollé said there was “considerably more” to the former mayor’s departure than the public narrative.
He said it was his understanding that a State Government-appointed governance adviser had not substantiated bullying allegations, and claimed support had been offered to Ms Mitchell during her absence.
“Her absence from the workplace made it increasingly difficult for Council to function as it should,” Cr Gollé said.
He also raised concerns about alleged abusive comments by supporters on Ms Mitchell’s social-media page and stressed that complaints to the OIA or Crime and Corruption Commission were not findings of misconduct.
“Complaints are not findings of misconduct,” he said.
“They must be investigated by the appropriate authorities and judged on their outcomes.”
Cr Talty rejected any suggestion Ms Mitchell’s departure proved Council itself was broken.
“The culture in the Council is excellent,” she said.
“There are a lot of really good people doing their best, going to work every day and doing their best to deliver what’s needed.
“And the councillors, the 10 councillors that remain, talk. They’re in their offices; they’re in the chamber. I am in communication with all of them, and there are no problems.”
She said it was sad Ms Mitchell would not be able to finish her term.
“Anybody who works so hard to be elected in such a challenging position deserves an opportunity to see out a term,” Cr Talty said.
“But as she has said, her health has not allowed her to do that.”
Even the mechanics of Ms Mitchell’s resignation caused confusion, with Council searching official inboxes and finding no formal notice before a scheduled media conference.
The resignation email, sent from a private account at 5am, was later found to have been held in Council’s quarantine system.
Now comes the next fight – who takes over?
Queensland law ordinarily requires the mayoral vacancy to be filled within two months, putting the deadline at December 28 and raising the prospect of a ballot around Christmas and New Year.
“Obviously we cannot have an election between Christmas and New Year,” Cr Talty said.
“That wouldn’t be a fair and democratic process.”
In a major development last Thursday, councillors agreed at a special meeting to seek a full postal ballot for the by-election.
Council will apply to the Electoral Commission of Queensland for a recommendation to Local Government Minister Ann Leahy that the vote be conducted by post, subject to electoral requirements and approval.
Cr Talty said the postal option would be more convenient during the holiday period and should reduce the cost borne by ratepayers.
“This was not an expense budgeted for,” she said.
“While the cost is not known as yet, it is expected that a full postal ballot will be significantly less costly than an in-person poll.”
Cr Talty said the decision was an important step towards filling the vacant office and ensuring ongoing leadership for Redland City.
Ms Leahy said the State Government would work with the Electoral Commission of Queensland on an appropriate election date.
“I appreciate that the Redlands community won’t want to be at the polls around Christmas time,” Ms Leahy told State Parliament.
If the State Government approves Council’s request, the mayoral by-election will be run as a full postal ballot rather than a traditional polling-day election.
Every enrolled Redland City voter would receive a mayoral ballot paper, instructions and a return envelope.
The ECQ – not Council – would set the election timetable, including the enrolment cut-off, mail-out dates and deadline for completed ballot papers to be returned.
Voting in the election is compulsory.
The ECQ would check and count returned ballot papers before declaring the successful candidate, who would serve as Mayor until the next scheduled Council election in 2028.
If Cr Talty or Cr Rowanne McKenzie were successful, a second divisional by-election would be needed.
