Baw Baw Shire Councillor, Danny Goss, will today resume the position of Mayor following the conclusion of a 21-day suspension for misconduct.
In May last year, former Councillors Annemarie McCabe, Keith Cook and Farhat Firdous lodged an application claiming then-Mayor Goss had breached several standards of conduct, complaining that his behaviour at several meetings last year had been “intimidating and threatening” and “disrespectful”.
At a council meeting in March, Cr Goss made a public apology for his behaviour, which he also posted on Facebook.
In accordance with the Local Government Act 2020, an election must be held following any vacancy in the office of Mayor. The election took place today, with Councillors voting in favour of the returning Mayor.
Councillor Goss said he is grateful for the support of his fellow Councillors and looked forward to continuing to lead Council for the remainder of the term.
“I thank Deputy Mayor Tricia Jones for acting in the role over the past few weeks, it’s not an easy job to step in so I formally acknowledge her hard work and share my appreciation,” he said.
“Crs Pratt, Kingwill, Wilson and Sheehan couldn’t be here today but have indicated their support from afar.
“To my other Councillors here today, I appreciate the nomination – I know how much you’ve been doing over recent weeks, and I very much appreciate the work you’ve done and the incredible support you’ve given me.
“To the community, the support has been incredible – from one-on-ones, to social media, to phone calls – it has been very humbling to have that support.
“Looking forward, it’s back to business as we prepare to finalise our Annual Budget and Council Plan for the year ahead. As always, there is much work to be done with many important and exciting projects hitting our agenda soon, and I’m pleased to resume service to this wonderful community.”
Cr Goss will lead Council for the remainder of the 2024/25 Mayoral term, which concludes in November when the next Mayoral election will be held.
