Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun Re-elected

Cr Ned Mannoun has been returned to office as the Mayor of Liverpool. The election results demonstrate a clear mandate from the community depsite recent legal proceedings to place the Council into Administration, with Councillor Mannoun securing a significant majority of votes.

“I am honoured and humbled by the overwhelming show of community support and pledge myself to serve all the residents of Liverpool City,” Councillor Mannoun said.

The newly re-elected Mayor emphasized the importance of democracy in western society and expressed his gratitude to the voters for their clear choice in community leadership. He also extended his congratulations to the elected Councillors and thanked the unsuccessful candidates for their commitment to the city.

Councillor Mannoun looks forward to working collaboratively with the new Council to achieve the best possible outcomes for Liverpool, its residents, and the local business community.

Election Results

The following tables present the election results after the distribution of preferences:

Mayoral Election Results

Candidate	Affiliation	Votes
Ned Mannoun	Liberal	52,369
Dr Betty Green	Labor	32,235
Peter Ristevski	Our Local Community	13,469

North Ward Results

Councillor	Affiliation	Votes
Richard Ammoun	Liberal	8,701
Sam Karnib	Labor	8,701
Matthew Harte	Liberal	8,701
Mira Ibrahim	Labor	8,560
Peter Harle	Liverpool Community Independent	5,411

South Ward Results

Councillor	Affiliation	Votes
Fiona Mc Naught	Liberal	9,797
Dr Betty Green	Labor	9,797
Emmanuel Adjei	Liberal	9,797
Ethan Monahan	Labor	8,497
Peter Ristevski	Our Local Community	8,797

The election results show a diverse representation across different political affiliations, reflecting the varied interests of the Liverpool community. With this new Council in place, Liverpool looks forward to a period of productive governance and community development.

Office of Local Government Inquiry Commencing Soon

Over the coming months the challenges for Liverpool Council are significant.

In April 2024, the Minister for Local Government, Ron Hoenig, requested the Office of Local Government (OLG) to launch an investigation into Liverpool City Council. This decision was made under Section 430 of the Local Government Act, which grants the Deputy Secretary of Local Government the power to carry out investigations into council operations either independently or at the request of the Minister. The initial investigation was aimed at examining the council’s operations and addressing concerns that had been raised.

The situation escalated in July 2024 when the NSW Government ordered a public inquiry into Liverpool City Council. This decision came after an interim report was provided to the Minister for Local Government, suggesting that the initial investigation had uncovered significant issues warranting further scrutiny. In response to these developments, Liverpool Council initiated legal action and was granted additional time to respond to the OLG’s Interim Report. This legal move by the council indicates the seriousness of the situation and the potential implications of the inquiry’s findings. Ron Hoenig released a press statement on the 5th of September and said:

‘Aggressive legal tactics from Liverpool Council have effectively run out the clock on my statutory powers to consider whether to suspend the council or defer the elections.

‘The Mayor has spent huge amounts of ratepayer funds challenging the public inquiry and the original notice of intent in the Land and Environment Court.

‘Despite losing the overwhelming majority of their case in the ruling by Justice Robson, Liverpool Council has then decided to continue spending ratepayers’ money through the Court of Appeal. What would be next, the High Court?

‘Reaching a settlement today means the public inquiry is full steam ahead urgently.

‘We’ve run out of time, it’s that simple. I remain extremely concerned by the information uncovered during the early stages of the investigations. It’s some of the worst I’ve seen in more than 30 years in local government.

‘I am solely focused on ensuring the serious concerns of maladministration and dysfunction are aired fully and transparently in the public inquiry.’

Ross Glover has since been appointed as Commissioner for the Inquiry and it is expected to commence as soon as arrangements and resources can be allocated in the weeks and months ahead.

In a recent update provided by Independant Campaigner Mr Michael Andjelkovic said:

The 2024 to 2028 term of Liverpool Council will be different to the last term (2021 to 2024) of Liverpool Council as the Mayor of Liverpool does not control a voting block of 6 and can no longer act as a Dictator to ram through his preferred ideas.

I am hopeful that the independent councillors that now hold the Balance of power will be more balanced in their approach than previous non resident, non ratepayer Karress Rhodes who sided with the Mayor of Liverpool and his Liberal Party to form a voting block which supported a number of Reckless, Risky and Rash decisions which has created the NED  – Never Ending Dramas over the previous 2 years and 9 months.

I am hopeful that the True Financial Position of Liverpool City Council will be exposed in the near future and that the Public Inquiry into the alleged mal-administration, Croynism and Corruption at Liverpool City Council will commence soon after it is officially established. – Michael Andjelkovic

Sources

(OLG Media release) (Liverpool Council Media Release) (Change.org Petition Update)