By XAVIER SMERDON
THE race for Wyndham’s next mayor has taken an interesting step, with five-time position holder Shane Bourke announcing he is no longer in the running.
Cr Bourke told Star he will not be vying for the role of mayor just days before the 30 November election.
“I just decided that it’s not the right time for me,” Cr Bourke said.
“In the end, I thought it would be better for me if I didn’t run for it this time.”
Cr Bourke said his busy schedule as a celebrant meant that he did not feel he could give the job the focus it deserves.
“In the weeks heading up to it, you head in one direction and then sometimes you just take a step back and think twice about it,” he said.
“Whenever I do something, I give it 100 per cent and I just don’t think I could do that this time.”
Cr Bourke, who has held the position of mayor a record five times, said he would definitely consider running for the job at a later date.
Currently, the only other two people to have put their hands up to take on the demanding job are councillors Kim McAliney and Bob Fairclough.
Last year, Cr McAliney was deputy mayor, and in 2008 she was mayor.
Cr Fairclough is the current deputy mayor. The new mayor will be announced on Wednesday 30 November at a statutory council meeting.
