Bridgetown-Greenbushes local council welcomes two new members following by-election

Two new members were sworn in as councillors on the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Shire council on Monday night after the Shire’s by-election on Saturday. Bridgetown residents Mike Christensen and Elke Browne were elected to the two available positions on the council. Mr Christensen received 881 votes and Ms Browne received 561 votes. The third candidate, fellow Bridgetown local Leigh Carroll, narrowly missed out with 542 votes. Shire president Jenny Mountford said she was happy to have the new additions to the council. “They are both very experienced and capable people and I look forward to working with them on council,” Mrs Mountford said. Mr Christensen, whose term will finish on October 18, 2025, thanked the people who voted for having confidence in him. “I stood for council to try to represent the community of Bridgetown-Greenbushes and the issues they feel strongly about,” he said. “The first thing I would like to do is identify key priorities in the community and see what can be done about those. “I have a few ideas, but first I want to hear what others feel we need.” He said one of the main things he wanted to give residents was openness and transparency. “I think a more honest and open approach will help gain the trust and support of the community as we work towards building a better community for all,” he said. Ms Browne said she felt “humble” to be able to stand up for her community. “I feel very privileged, proud and humble to be representing the Bridgetown-Greenbushes community on the Shire council and I sincerely thank all of my supporters and the people that have put their trust in me with their vote,” she said. “I am excited about joining such a forward-thinking and energetic team, and very much look forward to contributing in a couple of subcommittees that align with my skill set and professional experience in State Government.” The two positions on the council needed to be filled following the resignation of two Shire councillors, including the Shire president, within a week of each other. John Bookless resigned from his position as Shire president on April 26, which took immediate effect and left the council without a leader for two days. His shock resignation came one week after Cr Barbara Johnson resigned from her position. The two vacancies resulted in the Shire dipping below the minimum number of 80 per cent of councillors in office needed under the Local Government Act, triggering the need for a by-election to fill the vacancies.