Council meeting attendance records for three Bunbury mayor hopefuls revealed

With three elected members running in the City of Bunbury mayoral race, the South Western Times can reveal their attendance record since the start of the 2024-25 financial year. City of Bunbury mayor Jaysen Miguel has put his hand up for the top job once again ahead of October’s local government elections. However, his mayoral position will be contested by two councillors with Michelle Steck and Gabi Ghasseb also vying for the seat at the head of the table. The annual report for the 2024-25 financial year, sighted by the Times, shows there were 15 ordinary meetings, one special meeting and 15 agenda briefing sessions between July 1, 2024 and June 30. Of those ordinary meetings, Mr Miguel had missed two, while Cr Ghasseb had missed seven and Cr Steck missed five. None missed the special meeting, but while Mr Miguel attended 14 agenda briefing sessions, Cr Ghasseb only attended four and Cr Steck was present for just eight. All three mayoral candidates are on the audit committee which had four sessions in the financial year, all of which were attended by Mr Miguel, with Cr Ghasseb attending one and Cr Steck present at two. Neither Cr Ghasseb nor Cr Steck attended the one CEO performance review meeting, which Mr Miguel was at, and Cr Ghasseb attended just one of the five policy review and development committee sessions — a panel which Mr Miguel nor Cr Steck elected to be on. After a push from councillors, the attendance record is now included in the City of Bunbury council meeting agendas, and as the local government election has moved closer, some attendance has improved. From the September 9 meeting, the calendar year record showed since January 1, there has been 10 ordinary meetings and two special meetings. Of those, Mr Miguel has missed just one meeting, while Cr Ghasseb has missed three and Cr Steck has missed four. Of the 10 agenda briefing sessions since the start of the year, Mr Miguel has missed one, Cr Ghasseb has missed seven and Cr Steck has missed five. Councillors Steck and Ghasseb rank the worst of the bunch for those briefings and the ordinary meetings. No councillor has missed a special meeting this year. Mr Miguel was first elected to mayor in 2021 and has overseen massive change for the city, as well as the securing of AFL and Matildas games at Hands Oval. In his nomination, he said it had been an “honour” to serve as mayor, with him, his partner Kate and son Cooper “proud” to call Bunbury their home. “We have delivered the youth precinct, Forrest Park, Hay Park Pavilion and Hands Oval, plus upgrades to parks, footpaths and playgrounds across Bunbury,” he said. “Looking forward, housing remains one of our biggest challenges. We must continue this work and activate our CBD so Bunbury remains vibrant, welcoming and ready for the future. “I stay involved in local clubs and groups, and patron many more. These roles and relationships with councillors, governments and business keep me connected and ensure decisions reflect our diverse community.” Cr Ghasseb has advocated for action on homelessness in the past and in his nomination said safety and wellbeing were also priorities. He said he wanted to also advocate for lower rates and more rebates for seniors, as well as regular transport to and from Perth. “As your councillor, I visited hundreds of residents and businesses,” he said. “We can build a new vision ‘Bunbury 2035 Destination City’ to a new level. I offer decades of experience and relevant knowledge, a master’s degree in business and decades of community input.” Cr Steck said her priorities included keeping rates low “through better management” as well as advocating for public safety. She said she would also consult with the community on making public spaces nicer and look to promote the port, as well as try to tackle the homelessness issue. “I will continue to lobby for investment and promote our great city.” Ballots will soon be distributed by post, with all votes due back by 6pm, October 18.