Kris Hanna to be new Marion mayor after SA council elections
A man who has served in the South Australian Parliament for Labor, for the Greens and as an independent is now to become an Adelaide council mayor.
Kris Hanna will take over the role for the City of Marion after no-one else nominated.
Mr Hanna narrowly lost his seat in State Parliament at the 2010 election.
He said he had been holding his breath as nominations closed in case the current Mayor Felicity-ann Lewis had decided to stand again.
"Very few people, obviously, knew what the former mayor Felicity-ann Lewis was going to do at the last minute," he said.
"Most people were expecting her to continue, she's been a popular mayor, but in the end she didn't.
"I do feel a bit like (Australian winter Olympian) Steven Bradbury. Everyone has fallen out of the way and there I am at the finish line."
Electoral Commissioner Kay Mousley said a total of 1,334 candidates had nominated across South Australia for the local government polls, compared with 1,274 four years ago.
"A small number of councils will not go to election due to candidates being elected unopposed," she said.
"Elections will be required for the majority of councils and these will be conducted by post."
Voting papers will be sent out in late October and must be returned by November 7.
Candidates warned to make achievable promises
The Local Government Association has warned those running for council posts not to make promises to their communities they cannot meet.
Chief executive Wendy Campana said candidates needed to avoid promising anything council budget would not be able to meet.
"Candidates might want to take time to consider whether the proposal would cost additional money to implement and where these funds are going to come from," she said.
"Councils are already under pressure to maintain current infrastructure and to satisfy community expectations."
She warned some measures could only be achieved by increasing council rates or cutting current services.
"Similarly, if candidates run on a platform of reducing rates they will have to consider how this will be done," she said.
All candidates for the council polls will be detailed on a website due to go live by the end of September.
More information about local government elections can be found at http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/councilelections and http://www.ecsa.sa.gov.au/elections/council-elections
