Yager Bows Out As Mayoral Race Begins To Take Shape

By Tim Howard

The annual election of Clarence Valley’s mayor is still more than a month away, but the first public declaration has already been made.

Councillor Cristie Yager has ruled herself out of the contest.

In a candid Facebook post responding to rumours she intended to seek the mayoralty, Cr Yager admitted she would one day like the role, but said now was not the right time.

“So I would actually love to stand for Mayor, am I ready? Probably not,” she wrote.

Later, she revealed perhaps the biggest factor in her decision.

“Reality is I do not want to ask for my fellow councillors’ support, I’d like to earn it and simply understand that I have it.”

It was an unusually frank assessment from a politician and one that offers an early glimpse into a mayoral election that, while still weeks away, is already prompting discussion around the council table and in the community.

Her reluctance is particularly interesting because Cr Yager was the most popular councillor with voters at the 2024 local government election.

But the mayor is not elected by the public. The position is decided by the nine councillors, meaning a strong personal mandate from voters does not necessarily translate into the numbers required inside the chamber.

Cr Yager’s decision also raises a broader question: who would want the job?

The Clarence Valley mayoralty has become one of the most demanding public positions in the region.

Since the Covid-delayed 2021 local government elections, each mayor has faced a unique set of challenges that have made the office as politically difficult as it has been prestigious.

Ian Tiley inherited a council that frequently appeared divided. Disagreements between councillors were not confined to the chamber, with criticism spilling into newspaper letters to the editor and public debate. Managing personalities often seemed as challenging as managing council business.

Peter Johnstone succeeded Cr Tiley but served only a single one-year term as mayor before fellow councillors elected Ray Smith to the position.

Since then Cr Smith has presided over one of the busiest and most closely scrutinised periods in the council’s recent history. Decisions on caravan park residents, planning disputes, flood recovery, major infrastructure projects and governance issues have ensured council has rarely been far from the headlines.

None of those controversies is solely the responsibility of the mayor. In NSW, mayors chair meetings and provide leadership, but decisions are ultimately made collectively by councillors.

Even so, the office inevitably becomes the public face of council, carrying both the credit for its successes and much of the criticism when difficult or unpopular decisions are made.

Cr Yager’s comments suggest she has thought carefully about what the role involves.

She acknowledged she would find some of the ceremonial aspects of the office uncomfortable, joking she would happily avoid many public-speaking engagements and that every official photograph would probably look awkward.

But she also identified what she saw as the position’s greatest strength.

She believes the mayor has an important role advocating for the Clarence Valley through organisations such as the Country Mayors Association of NSW and the Mid North Coast Joint Organisation, where local issues can be pursued beyond the council chamber.

That broader advocacy role is often overlooked by the public, yet it is one of the mayor’s most significant responsibilities.

Cr Yager also joked that she would be “super irritating” to other councillors for reasons she chose not to list, but the remark carried a serious point.

A mayor must not only represent the community and lead debate, but also maintain the confidence of a majority of councillors who may hold widely differing views.

While Cr Yager has ruled herself out this year, her comments reinforce that the mayoralty remains an attractive ambition for many councillors despite its challenges.

Of the council’s nine elected members, only first-term councillors Shane Causley and Lynne Cairns have not previously sought or publicly expressed interest in becoming mayor.

The other seven councillors have either held the office, nominated for it or indicated a willingness to take it on.

That means there is unlikely to be any shortage of potential candidates when councillors gather next month to elect the mayor for the coming year.

Whether the office remains a political prize or has become something of a poisoned chalice is a question that may not be answered until after the votes are cast.

The Northern Rivers Times will begin canvassing councillors, seeking a clear picture of who might contest the mayor and deputy’s jobs.