THE Flinders Shire electorate could be on the verge on a new mayoral legacy, with contender Kate Peddle overtaking current mayor Jane McNamara on the polling charts.
As of March 18, Ms Peddle had received 431 votes and 50.35 per cent of total votes and Ms McNamara had 425 votes tallied with 49.65 per cent of total votes.
"Thank you to everyone who supported me during the local government elections. I am truly blessed to have so many great friends and I appreciate your messages of support and love," Ms McNamara said.
"The count goes on and all will be revealed over the next week. The declaration of votes will be on Tuesday March 26, 2024.
"Over time I have worked on gaining the respect of my peers, elected representatives and bureaucrats at all levels of government and political parties.
"Lobbying is my passion and the results of this lobbying shows with the project funding that has flowed into the Flinders Shire under my watch for roads, the Hughenden Recreation Lake and essential infrastructure."
The born and bred local said she had spent most of her life working for the betterment of the region and the north west, serving on numerous organisations and through her volunteer work.
"It has been an absolute honour and privilege to be your Flinders Shire mayor and I hope...this will continue into the future."
New front runner Ms Peddle expressed her pride in her campaign and thanked locals for their support.
"I feel I have listened and learned from you all and I am confident that we have a great set of priorities heading into a new term of council," she said.
"They say if you want to test the limits of your mental health then nominate in a local government election. This last week has proved that to be correct, but my mental state is still intact and I'm strong and ready to lead.
"My main disappointment is that in the last six weeks I have been hearing, reading and seeing so much that I've wanted from council over the past four years.
"They say you often know when there's an upcoming state or federal election because you see an increase in road works and announcements of really big projects and I feel our shire has witnessed something similar in the past month with a lot of activity around town. I'm sure our workforce (is) looking forward to seeing the end of this election and I don't blame them.
"(There has been) lots of direction on what will be done but nothing on why some actions...promised to you over four years ago still haven't happened."
Some of the key issues Ms Peddle said council has not addressed include the meatworks project, water projects which she said are "shrouded in secrecy and misinformation", effective rural roads programs and general transparency about council's spending.
"I know we're on the brink of some incredible economic activity but my goal is to ensure that we're strong as a community with or without those programs. I want to make sure we're ready to capitalise and engage in a way that will benefit those of you that choose to live here now," she said.
Upon talking with voters, Ms Peddle said a clear issue she heard voiced was a lack of council engagement.
"People have felt ignored, silenced and uninformed," she said.
"Silence only fosters mistrust...and it's high on my priorities to rectify that."
Some of her other priorities include water projects, which she said not only require long term planning but also a present focus.
"people want to live in the here and now. They want to make sure when (they) wake up tomorrow that (their) toilet flushes, (their) tap water is clear and clean) and (they) have the confidence that (their) every day (needs) are being looked after (by the organisation that collects rates) for those services," she said.
"If I thought those issues were being met and delivered in the best possible way I wouldn't have felt the need to run for mayor. Change is good and vital. It shouldn't be an insult but rather a necessary step that fosters a fresh perspective and incorporates a broader representation of (the Flinders Shire).
"(If successful I will) represent (voters) to the best of my ability and...be the trusted guardian of (their) shire until (they) decide it's time for a change."
