The first council meeting of 2021 will be held at the Lismore Council Chambers tonight at 6pm with a very busy agenda scheduled.

It will be the first time that the public can physically attend council meetings since April 2020 but there will be a limit to the amount of people that can attend (Council meetings to welcome back public access).

The big ticket item tonight will be the selection of our next Mayor.

Out of our eight (8) remaining councillors we could have as many as five running for Mayor. They are Councillors Neil Marks, Nancy Casson, Vanessa Ekins, Elly Bird and Darlene Cook.

The Lismore App asked each candidate in on December 24 if they are likely to run with Cnr's Marks and Casson the definite's while Cnr's Bird and Cook were likely but considering their options.

At the time Cnr Ekins could not be contacted, however when contacted today she said she will be throwing her hat in the ring.

"After 16 years as a councillor I think I have the experience, I am responsible, I go to all the workshops and on-site visits, I read all the documentation and I understand the processes," Cnr Ekins told the Lismore App.

Cnrs Cook and Bird have confirmed they will be candidates for Mayor today while Cnrs Guise and Lloyd did not respond to our requests but it is believed they will not nominate.

The Voting Process

There are two ways to proceed in tomorrow nights vote, an open vote (with a show of hands) or a ballot (secret) vote.

Whichever method is preferred, there will be a first round vote for the number of participating councillors. The person with the least votes will drop out before the second round of voting begins and so on until the final two councillors are left.

The person with the most votes will be declared Mayor of Lismore for the next six months before the September council elections.

If, and this is a real possibility with an even number (8) of councillors, the final vote is split four and four then the two final names are written on a piece of paper and the first name drawn will be declared Mayor. Paper, scissors rock would be more fun but image the ridicule if our Mayor was chosen that way albeit the result is the same.

Also on the council agenda tonight is free parking at the Lismore Base Hospital and councillors voting on the boutique brewery at South Lismore on Engine Street.

It promises to be a long night and the Lismore App will have a full rundown on Wednesday morning.