1 March 2016 Pittwater Alliance Posted the Following Question:-
Is it true Pittwater Councillor and Mayor Jacqueline Townsend has been offered a position as a Lawyer in the NSW Government Department of Community Services and will resign her position as Mayor and Pittwater Councillor soon to take up this post in the Department in what surely is our time of need and guidance with all the troubling current amalgamation issues???
28 Days Later The Manly Daily Confirmed the Following:-
Is it true Pittwater Councillor and Mayor Jacqueline Townsend has been offered a position as a Lawyer in the NSW Government Department of Community Services and will resign her position as Mayor and Pittwater Councillor soon to take up this post in the Department in what surely is our time of need and guidance with all the troubling current amalgamation issues???
28 Days Later The Manly Daily Confirmed the Following:-
Manly Daily 29 March 2016 Page 5
PITTWATER Mayor Jacqui Townsend has confirmed she will be retiring once the council goes into administration this year pending the formation of a new council.
Cr Townsend’s decision comes as Local Government Minister Paul Toole called for councillors interested in being involved in the creation of the new councils to submit an expression of interest. Cr Townsend said she would not be putting her hand up.
“I’ve done eight years at local government – four years as mayor and two years as deputy mayor,” she said. “I think it’s time for me to hand it over for new blood to come in and take further any new council that is formed.”
The Office of Local Government contacted all three peninsula mayors late last week stating that with the boundary review process set to be completed by the middle of this year, the government was considering options for current councillors. One option was acting as an administrator of the new council until the local government elections.
Warringah Mayor Michael Regan said he would be submitting an expression of interest.
“The council and the public know my support for genuine reform and to be part of the process and I think the community would have some expectation that their elected mayor and councillors would be part of any transition into a new council,” said Cr Regan.
Many have speculated if Manly Mayor Jean Hay would also retire, however Cr Hay told the Manly Daily she would be looking at the options over the coming days.
Cr Regan said the call-out was a “fishing” exercise to determine who was in support of reform and who was not.