SARROFF TO STEP DOWN TO FOCUS ON MAYORAL JOB

MAYORAL hopeful Eddy Sarroff (pictured) will resign as Division 10 Councillor to focus on his run for the Gold Coast City Council’s top elected job.

Main rival Tom Tate has ratcheted up his own campaign in recent weeks and Sarroff says he needs to focus full time on his own pitch in the lead up to the April 28 election.

“Over recent weeks it has become apparent that the scurrilous personal attacks on myself, particularly from candidate Tom Tate, require a full time commitment to the task of campaigning,” says Sarroff.

“I am being attacked with innuendo through big-budget letterbox flyers and on the Internet.”

Sarroff confirmed his decision today and it will be made official by the council at its March 19 meeting.

“It has been an honour for me to have served the city as the Councillor for Division 10 for the past 17 years and it will be even more of an honour to continue to serve the city I love so dearly as Mayor,” he says.

Sarroff’s says economic management will continue to be key to his campaign.

“Many would be aware that I have been very active lately in calling for open budget discussions at Council to bring the public’s attention to the unsustainable financial position the city currently finds itself in,” he says.

“My calls so far have fallen on deaf ears, but I believe they can’t be ignored any longer, particularly in light of so many wild financial promises being made by so many candidates contesting this election.

“As a free citizen I will be able to step up my campaign for greater Council accountability over the campaign period and bring some truth and reason to the table.”

Other mayoral candidates include Dean Vegas, Keith Douglas , Peter Young, Susie Douglas and newcomer John Abbott.
Young and Douglas are also councillors and have not indicated whether they will follow Sarroff’s lead.