BY JEM ANSHAW
The ballot paper for Muswellbrook Shire local government elections will have one name missing that many will have expected to see, that of Mayor Steve Reynolds.
On top of his existing medical conditions, Steve suffered a mini stroke back in June and complications from this have made things harder to manage for his young family.
“The wife and I spoke last Wednesday before the nominations opened and I had a little bit of a turn on the Thursday, and decided that I’d agree to step down,” Steve told The Hunter River Times.
“With the three operations I need, two of them that will require a lot of time out, so it would put pressure on myself in the role as councillor and potentially cause some chaos for the council, so rather than have that uncertainty, we’ve decided that it’s best not to run.”
While reflecting on his time as a councillor, Steve shared it has been the people he has worked with that has made the experience an enjoyable one.
“I’m big about the teamwork, it sounds cliche, but it is definitely rewarding to see the development of other councillors around me, hearing their voice and seeing their growth,” he shared.
“We can talk about infrastructure and projects all you like, but it’s about the small changes we’ve made, so as the community can have that listening post so we can have that engagement with the community.”
Discussing the upcoming election, Steve encourages voters to look at all the candidates and consider what their agenda at council will be and to make sure that they vote for the best possible candidates for the community.
“It’s not about who wins or who has the right point, it’s about the democratic decision to get things right for the community,” he said.
While he will not be on council for the next term, Steve has not ruled out standing again sometime in the future when he is able to give the commitment and give the community the time and energy required by a councillor.
In the meantime, Braith, Isabella and Jack will get to have more of their dad at home and on the sidelines of many of their sporting and school activities, and Ashley will get to sit down to dinner with her husband.
“I’ll be out of Council, but still assisting and doing whatever’s required to promote Muswellbrook and make Muswellbrook a place that people want to come to, and I’ll still be there for the community,” he concluded.
