Council
17 August, 2026
Mayor will not seek re-election
Wingecarribee Shire will have a new mayor from September.
Wingecarribee Shire will have a new mayor from September.
Mayor Jesse Fitzpatrick issued a brief statement earlier today (Monday) announcing he would not seek re-election next month.
“I have decided I will not contest the position of mayor when council elects its mayor in September,” Cr Fitzpatrick said.
“I will, however, continue to serve as a councillor and remain committed to representing our community and delivering for the Wingecarribee Shire.
“To be clear, I am not stepping away from council, nor am I seeking a position in State or Federal politics.
“I look forward to continuing to serve our community as a councillor.”
Cr Fitzpatrick’s term as mayor has been plagued with controversy – particularly in relation to development application assessment times and council’s financial position.
He has often been accused of supporting council’s senior management team and ignoring community concerns.
At this stage no other councillors have indicated an interest in standing for mayor however the current voting bloc means the position will almost inevitably go to one of the six other councillors who currently dominate the vote in the chamber.
Those councillors include deputy mayor Erin Foley and councillors Heather Champion, Therese Duffy, James Farrell, David Kent and Nicole Smith.
More to come.
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