In short:
Wyndham City Council will hold its fourth mayoral election in nine months after Preet Singh resigned as mayor on Tuesday 21 July. Councillors will meet on Thursday 23 July to elect a new mayor for the remainder of the 2025–26 term.
Back to the Drawing Board
Wyndham City Council will hold its fourth mayoral election since November 2025 at a special meeting on Thursday 23 July following Cr Preet Singh’s resignation as mayor.
Cr Singh announced on Tuesday 21 July that he was stepping down from the role after months of controversy surrounding a character reference he wrote before joining council. He will remain the councillor for Bemin Ward.
The upcoming vote marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous period for Wyndham City Council’s leadership.
The first mayoral election was held on 12 November 2025, when councillors elected Cr Josh Gilligan as mayor and Cr Preet Singh as deputy mayor.
Cr Gilligan was suspended from office on 25 February after an independent arbiter found he had engaged in misconduct relating to a Facebook exchange with former mayor and current Heathdale by-election candidate Kim McAliney.
A second mayoral election was held on 18 March to elect a replacement, but two rounds of voting ended in a 5–5 deadlock between Cr Peter Maynard and Cr Singh.
The deadlock was broken at a meeting on 23 March when Cr Jasmine Hill changed her vote, resulting in Cr Singh being elected mayor and Cr Hill being elected deputy mayor.
Councillors will now return to the chamber on Thursday to elect a mayor for the remainder of the 2025–26 mayoral term.
The special meeting was convened by councillors Josh Gilligan, Mia Shaw, Shannon McGuire and Maria King and will begin at 5pm.
Residents must register here to attend the meeting.
