By Tara Murray and Jaidyn Kennedy
Whittlesea mayor Aidan McLindon is defying calls by local residents for him to stand down from his position after nominating for the Werribee state by-election.
Just months after being elected mayor, Cr Lindon nominated for the Werribee seat saying he wanted to shine a spotlight on Whittlesea.
Cr McLindon initially told Star Weekly that he would not be stepping down as mayor for the duration of the by-election campaign.
However, he has since advised council chief executive Craig Lloyd that he would take personal leave from noon on January 23 until 11.59pm on February 8, the day of the by-election.
A petition started by Troy Steans, which has more than 600 signatures, claims Whittlesea residents have lost faith in Mr McLindon’s ability to carry out the duties of mayor.
It calls for the election of a new mayor who is committed to serving the people of Whittlesea with “integrity and dedication”.
Mr Steans, who is a long term Whittlesea resident, said after the last four years with no councillors that residents deserve better.
He said there are concerns about Mr McLindon’s commitment to the responsibilities and obligations that come with leading the community as mayor.
“He has been there for nine weeks and is already looking at the next best thing he can jump on to,” he said.
“If you look at his career in politics, there’s a lot of jumping around. Look at his history and look at what he is doing already.”
Mr Steans, who said he’s not aligned with any political party, believes it is not a good look for the mayor to focus his attention on another constituency.
He said the reaction from fellow residents had been supportive of the petition.
“I’ve had quite a few people private message me, saying thanks for sticking up for us,“ he said.
“I’m going to send it off per the guidelines on the [Whittlesea council] website and we’ll wait and see if the CEO [chief executive] accepts it or not.”
Mr Steans said there were also concerns that Mr McLindon might decide to stand in the federal election which must be held before the end of May.
“The position of mayor demands full attention, dedication, and focus on the needs and wellbeing of the residents of Whittlesea,“ the petition reads.
“The current mayor’s decision to pursue another political role so soon after being elected to serve our city reflects a disregard for the trust placed in him by the residents. His actions suggest that he is more focused on advancing his personal political career rather than fulfilling the promises he made to the community.
“We believe that the mayor’s actions have undermined public confidence and trust in his leadership.”
McLindon hit back at the call for him to stand down saying his opponents are continuing to attack him.
“There are approximately 165,000 residents who can vote in Whittlesea,” he said. “When the petition reaches 82,501 I promise I will immediately resign from my role as mayor.
“I returned the highest primary vote across the city reaching almost 55 per cent of the primary vote. As they continue to attack me, it only strengthens my resolve.
“I wish that some of these politically motivated people would dedicate their time to assisting me in scrapping the proposed northern incinerator in Wollert which will affect us all.”