A history of working with a number of organisations to improve the lives of Whitehorse residents, and a commitment to seeing positive change, brought Whitehorse Mayor, Councillor Jessie McCallum, to Council.
Concerned about the appointment of unelected commissioners, Councillor McCallum wanted to take part in representative government once democracy was returned to Victorian Councils.
A resident of the City, the Mayor said she loves the clean, green feel of the area.
“It is a great place to live and I am happy to fight hard to ensure features that are unique to Whitehorse remain protected,” she said.
“The services are good, it is close to Melbourne and you can get anything you need here.
“We have an excellent university, an excellent hospital and easy access to other parts of Melbourne and its surrounds.”
She counts among her achievements as a Councillor the vast improvement to safety on local sporting grounds.
Her chief aim as Mayor of Whitehorse is to further the push for greater community input into Council decision making. By talking to people, their ideas can be incorporated into service delivery.
The Mayor is an advocate of shopping locally and says this is a great way to find out what is going on, to meet people and to share experiences.
“People talk to me when they see me out doing what they are doing,” Councillor McCallum said.
“They are comfortable telling me what things they think should be happening here.”
The Mayor believes that most people basically want to feel they have ownership of their City.
She said, following amalgamation, it had taken some time for the two former Municipalities to recognise they are now part of the new City of Whitehorse.
“By the end of my term as Mayor, I believe we will have accomplished togetherness,” Councillor McCallum said.
