Group aims to defeat mayor

By Shaun Inguanzo
THE Knox Ratepayers’ Coalition (KRC) last week revealed the candidate it hopes will unseat incumbent mayor Jenny Moore in the November election.
But the Knox mayor criticised the unveiling of the KRC’s Baird Ward candidate, Jim Penna, labelling the group “the coalition of the billing”.
Cr Moore said she was not a supporter of endorsed candidates and said being elected independently meant she owed nothing to anyone other than ratepayers.
But, according to Knox Ratepayers Association (KRA) president Peter Baird, the coalition is a combined organisation of ratepayer groups and other individuals who are unhappy with the council as it stands.
Mr Penna, who runs a consulting business in Knox, will challenge Cr Moore for Baird Ward, which covers parts of Ferntree Gully, Boronia and Bayswater.
Cr Moore said if people thought they would receive rate relief under KRCendorsed councillors, “then like the guy in the movie The Castle said, tell them they’re dreaming”.
But Mr Penna said Cr Moore was “out of touch” with the community.
“She has been mayor for two of the past three years, during which council has increased total rate revenue by more than 33 per cent.
“She has been the leader of a council that has displayed arrogance and insensitivity.”
Mr Penna said he had lived in Knox for more than 50 years and had a strong financial management background.
He said if elected he would aim to make council more transparent and financially accountable. His leadership experience includes being a past CEO of the Mornington Peninsula Business Council, a managing director and chairman at Inductotherm Australian and South East Asian subsidiaries, past president of the Knox Club and Knox Toastmasters, and vicepresident of ratepayer group Knox Action.
The KRC also announced it would endorse incumbent Scott Ward councillor David Cooper.
KRC president Richard Thomas said Cr Cooper “was one of only two councillors who voted against the rate increase this year”.
“He should be reelected so that he can get on with the job of reforming this council.”
The KRC plans to announce candidates for the seven other wards during the coming weeks.