REDLAND City Mayor Jos Mitchell has publicly stated that she does not have the support of the majority of councillors, despite securing a clear mandate from voters in the 2024 election.
Mayor Mitchell’s comments come in the wake of a controversial change to the council’s Media Relations and Speeches Guidelines, which restricts the mayor from acting as the spokesperson for the council if they do not vote in line with the majority or have a declared conflict of interest.
In an interview with ABC Brisbane, Cr Mitchell expressed frustration over the decision, which she claims was made without her prior knowledge.
The change, implemented on December 9 last year, has led to a situation where the mayor could be sidelined from speaking on matters where she disagrees with the council’s majority decision.
“In the 10 months I’ve been in, I’ve noticed some patterning around attempts to restrict, I guess, the voice or the presence of an elected mayor,” Cr Mitchell said.
“These kinds of actions, in my opinion, diminish the role and function of the mayor. And that means it diminishes the voice of our community.”
While Cr Mitchell acknowledged that the changes were driven by majority sentiment among councillors, she was concerned about the broader implications for the role.
“We need to look at the framework around the protection of the people that we have elected into office,” she said.
“It takes a lot to get here, a lot of personal commitment and investment, and then to get into the role and be faced with these types of situations.
“If you look at our particular councils, Ipswich and Redlands, this isn’t about party politics.
“This is about the majority and ways that a majority can affect the voice of the mayor, and therefore, the voice of the community.”
Cr Mitchell, who is serving her first term, won the 2024 election with nearly 53 per cent of the primary vote and 67.67 per cent in total, a significant victory for a first-time candidate.
Despite her electoral success, Cr Mitchell’s concerns point to a deeper division between her and councillors.
“In my opinion, I do not have the support of the elected council,” she stated.
Cr Jason Colley said it was disingenuous for the Mayor to claim ignorance about this matter.
“She had all the information about possible revisions to the guideline days before the workshop on this matter and was invited to attend the discussion but chose not to,” he said.
“Not one councillor objected to the guideline being changed so that a councillor who voted against a majority decision of council could not be a spokesperson for that decision.
“Any suggestion otherwise is false.”
Meanwhile, Cr Paul Golle urged the Mayor to correct the public record, stating that her portrayal of victimisation was misleading and unprofessional.
“The Mayor is not gagged and, in my opinion, is attempting to create an issue where none exists,” Cr Golle said.
“This is a kick in the guts to her colleagues who extended the olive branch, acknowledging the backlash she faced over Toondah.”
