By Parramatta Advertiser, 15 February 2010

LORD Mayor Paul Garrard was lambasted by fellow councillors on Monday night for pushing ahead with Parramatta having a popularly elected mayor without their input.

Cr Garrard came under heavy fire as he presented the findings of a residents’ survey which showed that 64 per cent of respondents wanted to have a mayor elected by the people for four years rather than each year by councillors.

Members of the residents’ panel of about 1000 people took part in the survey.

While Cr Garrard was pleased with the results of the survey, other councillors were furious they did not even know the survey was being conducted.

But Cr Garrard pointed out he had flagged his intentions of seeking public opinion at the meeting on September 30, 2009.

After much debate on Monday night, councillors decided to workshop whether Parramatta should conduct a referendum on the city having a popularly elected mayor.

Only three councillors deputy mayor Chiang Lim, Cr Pierre Esber and Cr Michael McDermott were measured in their response to Cr Garrard, agreeing that residents’ views should be sought.

But they too were peeved he had called for the survey without other councillors’ endorsement.

Cr Garrard’s lord mayoral minute sought to table the results of the survey and to facilitate community discussion.

Clearly, he was not expecting the reaction of councillors.

``I am not trying to shove this down people’s throats I am simply trying to table the report and move towards further community discussion,’’ Cr Garrard told councillors.

``We need to think about it. There has to be consultation with the community but, yes, we need to have a workshop on it.’’

Cr Tony Issa said the council had considered having a popularly elected mayor in 1994 and rejected the idea.

``I have heard that Liverpool Council is considering doing away with a popularly elected mayor,’’ Cr Issa said. ``I don’t want council to have a mayor who does not have the support of the chamber.’’

Cr Lorraine Wearne questioned the methodology of the survey, saying the sample respondents represented ``two-thirds of 1 per cent’’ of the city’s population of 155,000 people.

Click here for the original article at Parramatta Advertiser.