Power seat: Monash Council offices in Springvale Road, Glen Waverley. Picture: Wayne Hawkins
COUNCILLORS have dominated the flow of preferences for this month's Monash Council election, according to the candidate statements released by the Victorian Electoral Commission yesterday.
In Mount Waverley, incumbents Jieh-Yung Lo and Tom Morrissey are the most popular candidates among their peers. Cr Lo, who had 2773 first-preference votes in 2008, was preferenced second by six out of 14 candidates.
While only two candidates gave Cr Morrissey their second preferences, he received 4375 first-preference votes at the previous election.
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The Monash Council election will use a full preferential voting system that requires locals to number the candidates on their ballot paper. As more than one person is elected per ward, a proportional counting system is used.
In nearby Glen Waverley, Lorraine Morrissey — the wife of Mr Morrissey — was preferenced second by three candidates. Incumbent Geoff Lake received only one second preference. In 2008 he had 10,076 first preference votes.
A third of the candidates in the Mulgrave ward listed Paul Klisaris as their second preference. He received 7352 first-preference votes at the previous election. Fellow incumbent Micaela Drieberg is Cr Klisaris' second preference.
But the battle will be hardest fought in Oakleigh, where newcomer Theo Zographos was preferenced second by six candidates. Of the 20 candidates in the Oakleigh ward, five will direct their second preferences to incumbent Stephen Dimopoulos, followed by Bill Pontikis with four and Stefanie Perri with two.
Mr Zographos is most well known for almost pipping Oakleigh member Ann Barker at the post during the previous state election.
He also ran for council in 2008 but was dominated by Mr Dimopoulos and Ms Perri, who got 5920 votes and 2783 votes, respectively.
■ Find out where your candidates live, what community groups they support and whether they belong to political parties.
The Weekly has asked all candidates — or at least all those who provided contact details — a series of in-depth questions to help voters make up their own minds how to vote.
Monash candidates have responded and their answers are posted on our website here. The Q&A may also help you spot the dummies.