June 17, 2013
After more than 16 years in local government, South Burnett councillor Cheryl Dalton has decided to call it quits.
Cr Dalton will be resigning from Council on July 17.
Confirming her intention to resign, Cr Dalton told southburnett.com.au today she was looking forward to spending more time with her children and four grandchildren.
She had been thinking about resigning for some time but had felt committed to seeing the current Council Budget through.
“It would have been unfair for another councillor to come in halfway through this,” she said.
Cr Dalton said she had been an active voice during the debates surrounding the upcoming Budget and would be present when it was tabled at the July 3 Budget meeting.
“I feel I have to support the decisions of the current council,” she said.
She refused to be drawn on the upcoming $200 per year roads levy or any decision by the Council to take over the running of the South Burnett Private Hospital when current manager Pulse Health finishes its contract.
At last week’s meeting, Council approved a $500,000 banking overdraft facility for South Burnett Private Hospital operations.
“I am looking forward to a bit of a rest at first but you can’t keep me down, and eventually I hope to be back out working in the community again,” Cr Dalton said.
“I feel bad about letting the people from Division 6 down. I have enjoyed representing them but sometimes you just have to make decisions that are best for yourself.
“A lot of people have been very supportive of me throughout my career in local government, and I have made a lot of friends both in Council and outside Council.
“Council staff have been very supportive and I have good relations with all the councillors.”
Cr Dalton said she would continue in her role as an executive member on the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board, which is not a Council position.
And she hoped to be able to have a continued involvement with the South Burnett arts community.
“I have been invited to do the July opening at the Kingaroy Gallery and I am looking forward to it,” she said.
Cr Dalton was first elected to the Kingaroy Shire Council in 1997, and then was elected to represent Division 6 of the new South Burnett Regional Council after the forced amalgamations in 2008.
She was re-elected to this role in March 2012.
On August 24 last year tragedy struck when her son Dylan, 29, was killed in a car accident on the Bunya Highway north of Wondai.
South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said today Cr Dalton had been a friend for 30 years as well as a colleague.
“Cheryl and her family have gone through so much in the past 12 months,” he said. “Her life has been turned upside down.”
He said Cr Dalton was a very caring person, always the first to help someone.
“She has been such a valued member of the Council and a bit of a ‘mother hen’ to all of us,” he said.
“She has given absolutely unbelievable sterling service to the people of Kingaroy, and for the last five years, the people of the South Burnett.”
He said he would miss her, as would everyone around the Council table.
“She will now be concentrating her amazing abilities on her family and life outside Council,” he said.
“I am really happy for her and wish her all the best.”
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The resignation means that by law the South Burnett Regional Council will have to hold a by-election as it is outside the timeframe that would allow an appointment to be made, or for the position to be kept vacant.
Mayor Kratzmann said unfortunately the election could not be held on the same day as the Federal Election in September, which would have saved costs.
However an option that would be considered by Council would be holding a postal ballot.
“We will have to discuss that but it certainly will be considered to determine if there would be a cost saving,” he said.
