Dennis Patterson, the mayor of Greater Shepparton, has announced he will not seek a second term as mayor at a special council meeting. Patterson cited wanting more time with his family as the main reason for stepping down. As mayor, Patterson's duties were equivalent to a full-time job and reduced the time he could spend with his wife, children, and grandchildren. A new mayor will be elected at the council meeting to replace Patterson and work with the city's new CEO. Patterson will remain on the council and support the new mayor.

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MAYOR NO MOREPATTERSON WILL NOT SEEK A SECOND TERM AS CITY’S LEADER, SAYING HE WANTS MORE TIME WITH FAMILY
By ELAINE COONEY
City of Greater Shepparton
mayor Dennis Patterson will not
put his hand up for a second term
at a special council meeting
tomorrow night.
Cr Patterson, who was elected
mayor last November, said he had
been considering the prospect of
re-election for a couple of weeks
and decided it was a good time for
the City of Greater Shepparton to
choose a new mayor.
‘‘With a new CEO coming in and a
new mayor as well, it’s a good time
for us to work together,’’ he said.
Cr Patterson said he would con-
tinue with his role as councillor
and would support the new mayor.
He said the main reason he did
not want to stand for a second
term was to wind down from the
demands that come with the
mayoral position.
He said he was looking forward
to having his weekends free of
council-related appointments and
enjoying a ‘‘less busy lifestyle’’.
‘‘It’s a load off my shoulders,’’ he
said about reaching the decision.
‘‘The job is a big job — a full-
time job.’’
He notified councillors by email
yesterday that he would not be
standing for a second term.
Cr Patterson said he imagined
some would be sad, but others
would be happy about his
decision.
He plans to ‘‘kick back for a
while and spend time with the
family’’.
Cr Patterson said his family life
suffered for 12 months while he
was busy with his mayoral duties,
and he looked forward to spending
more time with his wife, daughters,
sons-in-law and grandchildren,
and taking up volunteer work.
He described the past 12
months as ‘‘interesting’’ and a
enjoyed meeting ‘‘an awful lot of
good people’’.
● Continued on page 3