Outspoken councillor quits

OUTSPOKEN Toodyay Shire Cr Ben Bell has resigned from the council, bringing forward a move to cut the council’s size from nine to seven members.

Cr Bell resigned last month after missing several meetings due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions arising from his interstate business travel commitments.

He was first elected to the council’s former East Ward with 211 votes in 2017 and two years later topped the poll with 1126 votes in the council’s first shire-wide elections.

However, he failed in a highly publicised bid on local social media to be elected Toodyay shire president after scoring only one vote in a secret ballot of councillors conducted in the council chamber.

Read more