A FURTHER application for leave for Redland City Mayor Jos Mitchell was rejected in a 6-4 Council vote last week, but Council has since confirmed the mayoral position has not become vacant.
The vote came after Chief Executive Officer Louise Rusan confirmed Council had received no request for Mayor Mitchell’s latest batch of leave, from late July to late October, to be taken without pay.
Cr Jason Colley asked Ms Rusan during the General Meeting whether such a request had been received.
“I have received no such request,” Ms Rusan said.
Council said it had received advice from the Queensland Government’s Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers about councillor absences.
A councillor must seek a leave of absence through a meeting of Council, with each decision made case-by-case by councillors attending that meeting.
Council said State Government advice was that a councillor position becomes vacant only when a councillor is absent from two or more consecutive ordinary Council meetings over at least two months and has not been granted leave of absence.
“The position of Mayor has not become vacant following the resolution at the October General Meeting of Council,” Council said.
It said Deputy Mayor Julie Talty would remain Acting Mayor while the elected Mayor was absent, ensuring mayoral responsibilities continued to be performed.
The clarification follows months of debate over Mayor Mitchell’s extended absence.
It also comes as Council’s newly released annual report reveals more than $152,000 in councillor expenses and facilities during 2025-26, on top of almost $1.59 million in councillor salaries and superannuation.
The report shows Mayor Mitchell attended 10 of 14 general and special meetings during the financial year ending June 30, with four absences recorded as approved leave.
Cr Paul Gollé attended 13 meetings and had one approved leave absence, while the other nine councillors attended all 14 meetings.
Those figures do not include meetings held since June 30 or the latest rejected leave application.
Council records $1,416,521 in gross councillor salaries and a further $169,958 in superannuation contributions, a combined total of $1,586,479.
Mayor Mitchell received a gross salary of $202,358 and $24,280 in superannuation during the reporting year.
Cr Talty received $137,970 plus $16,555 in superannuation, while each of the nine divisional councillors received $119,577 plus $14,347 in super.
On top of remuneration, councillor expenses and facilities totalled $152,139.46.
Transport made up the largest share at $94,185.35 followed by conferences and training at $30,221.79.
Other expenses totalled $23,991.80, while entertainment costs came to $3740.52.
Cr Colley recorded the highest individual expenses total at $25,705.96 including $11,666.99 for conferences and training and $10,002.63 for transport.
Cr Shane Rendalls recorded $20,992.08, largely driven by $17,172.74 in transport costs, while Cr Peter Mitchell’s total was $20,706.14, including $14,017.02 for transport.
Cr Gollé recorded the lowest expenses total at $1567.
Beyond the elected members, Council’s eight-member Executive Leadership Team received total remuneration packages worth $2,913,145.62.
The annual report does not name the executives individually, but records one package between $500,000 and $600,000, six between $300,000 and $400,000, and one between $200,000 and $300,000.
