Jillian Merkel has put herself forward as a candidate for Benalla Rural City Council.
Mrs Merkel has lived in north-east Victoria her whole life, and in Benalla for close to a decade.
She is a local business owner, with diverse experiences in hospitality, business, farming and the insurance industry.
Mrs Merkel is running for council because she wants to see some things change.
“I’m sick of the overspending and the old-school ‘jobs for mates’ type of attitude. I just think it can be run better,” she said.
Her approach to council, which she described as “back to basics”, comes after she completed a course on women leading locally, delivered by the Victorian Government.
“The course tried to make (local council) sound like it was much better than rates, rubbish and roads,” she said.
While she acknowledged the appeal of a broader vision for local governments, Mrs Merkel said that for Benalla and surrounding areas, the focus “must return to essential services first”.
“We need to get back to those things,” she said.
Mrs Merkel said that transparency between council and residents was also important, especially when it came to spending.
To improve this area, she said that one of her key focus areas would be the introduction of a transparent budgeting process, to help build trust and accountability within the community.
She said a specific challenge she would address if elected was flood mitigation.
“Flood mitigation needs to be evaluated and explained to the public, why we’re doing what we’re doing, or if we’re doing anything at all,” she said.
“It needs to be explained in a more public forum because people don’t understand what goes on behind closed doors.
“We need more accountability, and more transparency.”
Mrs Merkel said the ‘traditional’ core services of local councils, including rubbish removal, road maintenance and community services, were accounting for less and fewer expenditures, with the rest being funnelled into community infrastructure projects.
“While these projects can be important, they should not come at the expense of our essential services. We need to get back to basics,” she said.
“If elected, I promise to ensure that every voice is heard, especially those of our local business owners, who are the backbone of our economy.
“I want to help our region be the best that it can be. Benalla has a great opportunity for transformation over the coming years, and I believe I can assist in this process.”