Mayor of the Gold Coast facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of the Gold Coast |
|
|---|---|
 Tom Tate since 28 April 2012 |
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| Style | Councillor (Informal) His Worship (Formal) |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Deputy | Cr Donna Gates |
| Website | Gold Coast Mayor |
The Mayor of the City of the Gold Coast is like the main leader and public face of the Gold Coast City Council. This council is the local government for the Gold Coast, Queensland. The person holding this important job right now is Tom Tate.
The mayor represents the whole city council. People living in the City of Gold Coast area vote for the mayor in local elections every four years. The mayor leads all council meetings and is the only council member who doesn't represent just one specific area of the Gold Coast. They are the main spokesperson for the Gold Coast City Council and its plans.
The Gold Coast City Council manages a large budget, which is about $1.83 billion each year. This is one of the biggest budgets for a local government in Australia! The mayor's office is located in the Southport Town Hall building in Southport, Queensland.
Contents
What Does the Gold Coast Mayor Do?
The mayor of any city in Queensland, including the City of Gold Coast, has special jobs. These are in addition to their duties as a regular council member. Here are some of the main things the mayor is responsible for:
- Leading and managing council meetings. This includes making sure everyone follows the rules during meetings.
- Getting the city's yearly budget ready and suggesting it for approval. The budget is a plan for how the city will spend its money.
- Talking with the chief executive officer (CEO) on behalf of the other council members. The CEO helps run the city's daily operations.
- Guiding the CEO to make sure the city government is run very well.
- Giving directions to the CEO, following the city's rules and plans.
- Checking the CEO's work at least once a year. This is like a performance review.
- Making sure the city gives information to the Minister for Local Government when asked.
- Being a member of every main committee of the local government.
- Representing the city at special events or public gatherings.
Sometimes, the mayor can ask another council member to do some of their extra jobs. This is called "delegating" a responsibility. However, when any council member does a job, they must always think about what is best for the entire Gold Coast area, not just one small part.
Who Has Been Gold Coast Mayor?
The current Gold Coast mayor is Tom Tate. He was first chosen by voters on April 28, 2012. People voted for him again on March 19, 2016, and then again on March 28, 2020. Each time, he won with a large number of votes.
Here is a list of the mayors of the Gold Coast:
| South Coast Mayor | Term |
|---|---|
| Len Peak | 1949–1958 |
| Gold Coast Mayor | Term |
| Ern Harley | 1958–1967 |
| Bruce Small | 1967–1973 |
| Robert Neumann | 1973–1976 |
| Bruce Small | 1976–1978 |
| John Andrews | 1978–1979 |
| Keith Hunt | 1979–1982 |
| Denis O'Connell | 1982–1985 |
| Denis Pie | 1985–1988 |
| Lex Bell | 1988–1994 |
| Ray Stevens | 1995–1997 |
| Gary Baildon | 1997–2004 |
| Ron Clarke | 2004–2012 |
| Tom Tate | 2012–present |
How Gold Coast City is Governed
The city of Gold Coast is managed by the Gold Coast City Council. This council looks after the Gold Coast, Queensland and the areas around it. It's the second-largest local government area in Australia based on how many people live there. The council has over 2,500 staff members! It was first started in 1948, but it has been in its current form since 1995.
City Divisions and Councillors
Gold Coast City is split into 14 areas called "divisions." Each division chooses one council member, called a councillor, in elections held every four years. The most recent local government election was on March 19, 2016.
Here are the councillors for each division:
- Division 1: Cr Donna Gates Dep Mayor – Yatala
- Division 2: Cr William Owen-Jones – Coomera
- Division 3: Cr Cameron Caldwell – Paradise Point
- Division 4: Cr Kristyn Boulton – Biggera Waters
- Division 5: Cr Peter Young – Pacific Pines, Nerang and Hinterland areas
- Division 6: Cr Dawn Crichlow – Southport
- Division 7: Cr Gary Baildon – Surfers Paradise
- Division 8: Cr Robert La Castra – Ashmore
- Division 9: Cr Glen Tozer – Mudgeeraba
- Division 10: Cr Paul Taylor – Broadbeach
- Division 11: Cr Hermann Vorster – Robina
- Division 12: Cr Pauline Young – Burleigh Heads
- Division 13: Cr Daphne McDonald – Palm Beach
- Division 14: Cr Gail O'Neill – Coolangatta
See also
