Hobart City councillor John Kelly will run for lord mayor at October’s local government election, entering a contest for a seat left open by Anna Reynolds’ departure.
Kelly, an independent, was first elected to the council in 2022, when he also ran second to Reynolds for the top job.
He contested the Legislative Council seat of Hobart in 2024, finishing behind the Greens’ Cassy O’Connor.
Kelly told Pulse the city needed stronger leadership.
“Hobart has lost its way and I’m prepared to take responsibility for helping put it back on track,” he told Pulse.
“The lord mayor should be a leader, not just a chair.”
Kelly, who says he has been self-employed for 40 years, has restored a number of Hobart heritage buildings, including the State Cinema, the Hope and Anchor and the Crescent Hotel.
He said Hobart faced rising costs, traffic congestion, a housing shortage and declining public confidence in local government.
“Ratepayers deserve better value for money,” he said.
“We need a council that concentrates on delivering essential services efficiently, reducing unnecessary red tape and creating an environment where people want to invest, build businesses and live.”
Kelly is pushing for light rail, arguing public transport has not kept up with population growth since Hobart’s passenger rail services ended in 1978.
“Hobart cannot continue trying to solve congestion simply by putting more cars onto the same roads,” he said.
Kelly said he would meet regularly with all elected members and take an open-door approach.
“Politics and ideology should never come before the interests of the community,” he said.
He described himself as a “moderate centrist” whose experience in business, community organisations and the army had taught him the value of working with people from different backgrounds.
“The lord mayor must work for the people of Hobart, not for a political faction,” he said.
“We can either stagnate and simply survive or we can adapt and thrive.”
Sitting councillors Ryan Posselt, Bill Harvey, Louise Bloomfield, Marti Zucco and Mike Dutta have all confirmed they will run, as has former Hobart City Mission chief executive Harvey Lennon.
