Grossman set to beat Hodge in mayor race

Jane Emerick
Torquay councillor Keith Grossman is poised to upset Jan Juc colleague Rose Hodge in a Surf Coast council vote for mayor next week.
Cr Hodge was confident of becoming mayor after finding she was the only councillor standing when nominations closed on Wednesday night.
But yesterday Cr Grossman said he could still nominate on the day and would put his hand up if he had enough support.
“I’d support Rose if she was the only one standing but I’m considering standing myself,” he said.
“I’d definitely stand if I had the numbers to support me.”
Cr Ron Humphrey said Cr Grossman would win the vote.
“If Keith (Grossman) stood I’d support him, providing he picked a deputy mayor out of myself, Roly Livingstone, Lindsay Schroeter or Jim Tutt,” he said.
Cr Humphrey expected that councillors Roly Livingstone and Jim Tutt would also support Cr Grossman.
“If Keith wanted to get back in the chair it’s likely he would get our support,” Cr Humphrey said.
“We’d need to have a firm understanding of certain principles but it is likely.”
Cr Lindsay Schroeter gave his backing to Cr Grossman as mayor.
“Yeah, I’d support him,” Cr Schroeter said.
“I think he’d be a good idea. It would be a good change from the female leadership – nothing against females.”
Crs Livingstone and Tutt both told the Independent they would remain neutral until they heard candidates’ presentations at the mayoral election on Tuesday.
Cr Hodge expected to win when she spoke to the Independent on Wednesday.
“I was absolutely rapt to win a seat on council in 2004,” she said.
“Now the majority of councillors think I’m the one to do the job as mayor.”
The successful candidate would need at least five votes, including their own, to become mayor of the nine-member council.