How much exposure is enough?

In October last year, I wrote to the local paper regarding the incredible number of photos of our Mayor - Angelo Tsirekas - that were appearing in the Council funded community newsletters - he's appeared 72 times since November 2008.

It didn't get published.

One of the Councillors had a go at the Mayor in the paper last week for the same thing - and apparently copped a bit of flak from him at the next meeting.

I've written a followup letter to the Inner West Courier - we'll see if I get published this time.

I don't mind seeing a few photos of the Mayor in Council funded publications - but a few does not mean 10 or more photos. Out of interest, I had a look at the newsletters of five councils this week - Canada Bay (where I live), Caterbury (which employs our Mayor), Burwood, Strathfield and Leichhardt (as they are all close by). Note that every newsletter includes two photos of the Mayor as a matter of course - one photo with all the other councillors, and one over the Mayoral column. I have not counted those photos.

Incredibly, the Mayors of those four other Councils appear in a total of 43 photos, whilst our Mayor clocks up 72 just on his own!

Canada Bay publishes two newsletters - one for residents and one for business.

Bayside business newsletter:

• Autumn 2009 - 11
• Winter 2008 - 0
• Autumn 2008 - 2
• Summer 2008 - 8

Bayside Brief:

• June 2010 - 11
• April 2010 - 2
• Feb 2010 - 6
• Dec 2009 - 8
• Oct 2009 - 11
• Aug 2009 - 2
• Apr 2009 - 1
• Feb 2009 - 5
• Nov 2008 - 5

That's an average of 5.5 photos per publication and a total of 72 photos over 13 editions.

Burwood:

• Winter 2010 - 3
• Autumn 2010 - 2
• Summer 2009 - 3
• Spring 2009 - 0
• Winter 2009 - 0
• Autumn 2009 - 0
• Accent on Seniors - July 2009 - 2
• Accent on Safety July 2008 - 6
• Accent on Environment 2008 - 1

9 publications, 17 photos, average of 1.9 per edition.

Strathfield:

• May June 2010 - 1
• Mar/Apr 2010 - 2
• Jan/Feb 2010 - 1
• Nov/Dec 2009 - 2
• Sept 2009 - 0
• July 2009 - 0
• May 2009 - 0
• March 2009 - 0
• Jan 2009 - 3

9 publications, 9 photos, average of 1 photos per edition.

Leichhardt:

• Dec 2009 - 3
• Oct 2009 - 4
• Autumn budget 2009 - 0
• Autumn 2009 - 1
• Spring 2008 sustainability - 0
• Spring 2008 - 0

6 publications, 8 photos, average of 1.3 photos per edition.

Canterbury:

6 publications, 9 photos, average of 1.5 photos per edition.

If the Mayor wants to publish a newsletter at his own expense, he can put 100 photos in it for all I care. However, it's a different matter when ratepayers are funding it. Most other Mayors appear on average once or twice per newsletter - that sounds about right. The newsletters are about Council business - they are not the private property of the Mayor.