City of Glenorchy Council Deputy Mayor, Russell Yaxley, has announced he will run for Mayor at the local government elections in October.
Cr Yaxley (pictured) announced his intention in an online post, saying he was the “best person” for the top job.
“I’m proud of the past term, we benefited from good early decisions and we followed through on them,” he said.
“What I’m concerned about is the next term, if we relax, become complacent, not work hard, then all the good results achieved will be wasted and we’ll drift back into old ways. I won’t let that happen, not on my watch. I have the energy, drive and experience. I live here, this isn’t just a job to me, it’s personal.”
Cr Yaxley said if he is voted in as Mayor in October, he’ll “throw everything at” the role.
“I’ll speak up with a strong voice. Face to face with state and federal governments, putting our case and driving our agenda. Not waiting on theirs. I’ll fight for a brand new Glenorchy aquatic centre, finish the Tolosa Park renewal and build the path along Humphreys Rivulet from the CBD to Tolosa Park. We haven’t pushed nearly hard enough for these, but I will,” he said.
“I’ll deliver the essentials you rely on every day and expect. I’ll build a proud clean and safe city. Clean streets, safe shops, roads repaired, footpaths fixed, parks and environment looked after. graffiti gone.
“And I’ll listen. I want to refresh our Community Plan, by listening to people in every suburb. The Glenorchy Community Plan is more than 10 years old and Glenorchy has changed in that time. The best ideas won’t come from me, they’ll come from the people who live here.
“I know what I’m taking on. If the community decides someone else should lead, I’ll respect that. But I’d never forgive myself for sitting back and staying quiet. This is my home and I’ll go into bat for this city every single day.
“It’s time to put Glenorchy First.”
Cr Yaxley was first elected to the council in 2021 and has been the city’s Deputy Mayor since July 2024.
