The annual mayoral election – to take place at the beginning of council’s September monthly meeting at 5pm – has the potential to swing either way at this stage and a single vote could make the difference.

Cr Freudenstein and Cr Walker will both be nominating for the top job again this year with no-one contesting Cr Ben Cooper for the deputy mayor role.

A number of councillors have indicated they are leaning towards a change of leadership and a need for “new blood” ahead of tonight’s vote.

Cr Freudenstein has just completed his sixth term as mayor and said he won’t challenge Cr Cooper for the deputy’s role if he’s not re-elected as mayor, saying he’s “the man for the job”.

“Ben’s doing an excellent job and deserves to be there,” he said.

Cr Walker, who served as Young’s mayor from 2000 to 2003, will make his sixth attempt at running for mayor since stepping down 11 years ago.

He stands by the words he voiced during last year’s election saying that “Young’s not moving at all”. 

“We need to make a fresh start and changing our mayor will be the first indicator of that,” Cr Walker said.

“I will be nominating for mayor but I wouldn’t mind seeing any of the other candidates step up either.”

Cr Walker also said he won’t nominate for deputy mayor if he was unsuccessful because he believed “Ben, a young person or someone on a learning curve was right for that position”.

Cr Cooper said he’d love to stand again as deputy mayor if his fellow councillors so allowed and that he fully supported Cr Freudenstein for mayor. As did Cr Brian Ingram.

“Stuart’s initiated some great projects that I would like to see followed through. I also believe he is a good statesman for the community and shire and is well respected.”

Cr Ingram believed if Cr Freudenstein and Cr Cooper weren’t re-elected it’d be “detrimental” to council’s cause.

“I think it would be very beneficial for the Young Shire that Stuart and Ben remain mayor and deputy mayor, in line of the great work they’ve done for the shire [and] especially as we approach a very important period [in local government reform].”

But Cr Sandy Freudenstein, Cr John McGregor and Cr Allan Miller thought otherwise.

Cr McGregor – who acted as deputy mayor from 2001 to 2008 – believed six years was long enough for a mayor but said tonight’s vote will be a “difficult one”.

“If John Walker stands he’ll do a very good job and keep councillors informed because he knows a lot more about what’s happening. At the moment we know nothing.”

Cr Miller agreed, saying “we’re the ones who have to walk the streets and take complaints [about matters] and we haven’t heard of it”.

Cr Sandy Freudenstein wanted to see Cr Walker as mayor because “he knows how it should be run and will bring the standard back”.

Cr Brian Mullany remained undecided yesterday and Cr Tony Wallace wouldn’t reveal his voting intentions.