Parramatta Advertiser, 1 October 2009

Paul Garrard - Parramatta’s longest-serving councillor- was last night elected lord mayor of the city for the fifth time during his 35 years on council.

The independent councillor beat Labor’s candidate Pierre Esber nine votes to six.

Liberal councillor Chiang Lim was elected deputy, against Labor’s Julia Finn by the same margin.

Former lord mayor Tony Issa, who had been mayor for a year, decided not to stand again.

In standing down, Cr Issa paid tribute to his fellow councillors in the way they had worked together. He said he was proud to have abolished politics in the chamber and to have reduced the city’s $6.9 million debt to a $4.6 million surplus.

Cr Garrard’s first words as lord mayor were: ``It’s good to be back.’’

He promised to press ahead with the long-awaited Civic Place project and to open public debate on whether Parramatta should have a popularly-elected mayor.

He said the public should be given the chance to debate the issue as Parramatta was ``the only lord mayoral city in Australia’’ without a popularly elected mayor.

Parramatta Advertiser (1 October 2009)