As Mayor Troy Thompson has been suspended from his duties with the Townsville City Council, his lifestyle will continue to be funded by his $250,000 annual pay packet.
That is to say, Cr Thompson has been directed to step away from all of his responsibilities yet will still enjoy all that comes with $4807 per week (before tax).
Minister for Local Government Ann Leahy made the announcement on Thursday, November 21, confirming that Cr Thomson was suspended for 12 months with Deputy Mayor Paul Jacob taking on mayoral responsibilities.
“During his suspension Mr Thompson cannot perform any of the duties of a councillor or mayor,” Ms Leahy said.
“This result is a win for the residents of Townsville who deserve stability and a functioning local government.”
The question is, do the people of Townsville consider it a win when their rate-payer dollars are contributing to Cr Thompson’s significant pay check?
To put this into perspective, here are some employment opportunities currently advertised in Townsville:
Job: Registered Aged Care Nurse
Requirements: Bachelor of Nursing or Nursing Science degree, experience, police checks and
Pay: $95-$140,000 per year
Job: Operations Manager Mad Cow Tavern
Requirements: Industry experience
Pay: $80-$115,000 per year
Job: Solicitor, Barram Family Law
Requirements: Lawyer (Legal Degree) with 3+ years experience
Pay: $140-$200,000 per year
Job: Project Manager, CiteCon
Requirements: Minimum 5+ years experience in construction project management
Pay: $180-$230,000 per year
Who is Paul Jacob?
The Far Northern Beaches is in a unique position with their neck of the woods now being represented by the Mayor of Townsville, following the suspension of previous placeholder Troy Thompson.
Division 1 Councillor Paul Jacob narrowly edged out the competition when Councillors voted for their Deputy Mayor but following Cr Thompson’s suspension, he will now take on the top job for the next 12 months, effective from November 21.
The question is: who is Paul Jacob and what is his story?
According to the Townsville City Council website, its newest leader was born and raised in western Sydney before becoming an Electronics and Communications technician, a trade he plied around the country.
More than 30 years ago Cr Jacob and his family relocated to Townsville, working for Townsville Human Capital, James Cook University and the Townsville Hospital, as well as serving as a Councillor from 2016 to 2020. He did not contest the 2020 Local Government election.
Interestingly, in February this year, Cr Jacob declared he would be contesting the role of Mayor with this statement on his Facebook page:
“I will be running for mayor at the local government elections in 2024, with a team of like-minded people. Accountability and transparency have been sorely lacking with the present Council. No more spinning of projects that never come to fruition. Spending on critical infrastructure like water, waste and roads will be paramount. Arts in the form of a re-vitalized Townsville Civic theatre (TPAC) will happen. We need new players in Townville. This council is tired just like the Tyrell council was 11 years ago.”
FACT: Unlike southern counterparts, in Queensland a candidate can either nominate to run for Mayor or as a Councillor, with Deputy Mayor a subsequent decision voted for by Councillors.
Therefore, a candidate must decide prior to submitting their nomination to the Electoral Commission of Queensland if they wish to contest a Division (representing a group of suburbs) or the role of Mayor.
This year, Cr Jacob was a candidate with the Townsville Change group at the Local Government elections in March 2024, his band of contenders presented themselves as advocates of ‘transparency and accountability’.
Other initiatives spruiked by Cr Jacob during the campaign, which were specific to his patch, included:
- monthly rate payments, instead of six-monthly, as a means to support cost-of-living measures (noting same amount paid annually but just in monthly installments)
- the provision of public transport in Black River
- establishing a Community Centre in Rupertswood
- upgrade to the Bluewater Community Centre
- bringing back the issuing of tip vouchers to ratepayers every six months, and
- introducing light rail to Townsville using existing rail infrastructure.
In April, he narrowly edged out Cr Anne-Maree Greaney for the Deputy role with a count of six votes to her five.
A Facebook post this week from Cr Thompson suggests he is not overly supportive of Cr Jacob but sees Cr Greaney’s push for the role as defeated Mayor Jenny Hill’s bid to have one of her team in the chair.
Cr Jacob himself has been quiet on the western eastern front but is not backing down from the role of Mayor and all of its responsibilities. It seems his social media post in February was on the money…
