Council veterans

By Kelly Yates
DUMPED councillor Paul Richardson says he will try his hand at State Government in an effort to be an independent MP for Narre Warren North.
The former councillor said he was upset about not being re-elected for Four Oaks Ward.
“I won’t be running away from the City of Casey. I’ll still be at every council meeting,” he said.
Rob Wilson, who also got the boot this week, told the News it was the end of an era.
“Of course I’m disappointed, but it’s the voters who make the final decision,” he said.
Mr Wilson will not be following in the footsteps of Mr Richardson by attending every council meeting.
“I’ll find other things in my life to do like playing more cricket games,” he said.
Mick Morland and Brian Hetherton were shown the door from Edrington Ward, ending an 18-year run for Mr Morland.
“Never again,” said Mr Morland, after resigning from 26 public committees on Monday.
“I’m totally finished. It’s a bad system where you can get the most votes but still not get in.”
Mr Hetherton said he was disappointed the residents had elected two untried and unknown individuals.
Former mayor Janet Halsall said she would be moving on to the next stage of her life, firstly jet setting to England to bring her 80-year-old mother to live permanently in Australia.
Ms Halsall said she wasn’t surprised about not being re-elected.
“It’s disappointing but I know I ran a clean and community-based campaign, with no running mates,” she said.
Ms Halsall lost her seat in River Gum Ward after the distribution of preferences.
She polled the most primary votes of any candidate but was overtaken by incumbent Wayne Smith, her harmonious working partner in the previous term, and by greens-endorsed candidate Lynette Keleher.
Former Mayfield councillor Steve Beardon said he was happy that Amanda Stapledon would go down in history as the first female councillor in the ward.
“Now I’ll go back to fishing and weekends away with my family,” he laughed.