In the lead up to council elections you often hear candidates making large scale claims about fixing this or changing that.
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For Wamboin mum of two Tanya Davis, there’s a more personal motivation for making her first run at local government.
“My biggest driving force is to make my children proud,” Ms Davis said.
“I think having somebody to aspire to work towards and knowing that you can make a difference is a fantastic thing to be able to provide to your children.
“Growing up I always wanted to be the kind of person that was involved and could make a difference, and I think local government can give me that opportunity.”
That isn’t to say that Ms Davis is not across the pressing issues in Queanbeyan-Palerang.
She highlighted upgrading roads in Captain’s Flat and Braidwood as priorities for the new council. For Queanbeyan she said the debate surrounding the Ellerton Drive Extension, Dunns Creek Road and the proposed cemetery meant these projects needed further examination.
“I am very reluctant to make any promises, as everyone should be, because it is a democratic process and all we can do is help to be a voice for the people,” Ms Davis said.
Being a voice on the council for her community is another major motivation for Ms Davis.
She said while she could see some positives of the council merger she, like many others, holds fears that some of the Palerang communities could be left behind financially because of the population disparity.
However a well-run council with councillors from across the entire region could ensure this did not happen, she said.
“I think there’s some very strong candidates from the old Palerang council who are running and there is some fresh blood like myself who can be strong advocates for those communities,” she said.
Ms Davis is running as part of former councillor Sue Whelan’s ticket.