Louise Elliot has confirmed she will run for deputy lord mayor in October’s Hobart City Council election, ending speculation she might make a tilt at the city’s top job.
Elliot, who has served as a councillor on a term marked by code of conduct disputes and a two-month suspension, said her focus would be on slashing what she called Hobart’s “extortionate” rates.
“Bringing down Hobart’s extortionate rates is my focus,” she said.
“When you look at the stats, Hobart is in its own ballpark.”
She pointed to Launceston as a comparison, noting it has more people, a larger area and twice as much road to maintain but average residential rates of $2,000 a year compared to $2,900 in Hobart.
“That’s unjustifiable,” she said.
Elliot said she wanted a “boring council” that quietly gets the basics right rather than chasing what she described as vanity projects.
“My goal is a boring Council,” she said.
“Boring because the community is happy because we have great footpaths, roads are maintained, we have fabulous playgrounds and parks, the rubbish is collected, parking is affordable, our CBD is buzzing and because they know that they’re getting good value for their rates.”
The call for a drama-free council might raise a few eyebrows given Elliot’s own track record.
She was suspended for two months earlier this year after a code of conduct panel found she’d breached rules covering causing offence, undermining council decisions, bringing council into disrepute and failing to show respect.
The complaint, brought by Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, related to a string of Facebook posts Elliot made between February and May 2025, including one linking Reynolds’ family to communism.
She had also previously copped a seven-day suspension after posts calling fellow councillor Ryan Posselt “Clown Man”.
Elliot acknowledged many supporters had wanted her to run for lord mayor but said she needed to be realistic.
“I need to be honest with how thin I can spread myself,” she said, pointing to a law degree, council work, her regular job and two young kids.
“Importantly, the Lord Mayor is just the spokesperson, and their vote is worth the same as everyone else’s.”
She hinted another candidate would soon enter the lord mayor race.
“There will be a fabulous Lord Mayor candidate coming your way,” she said.
Ryan Posselt has already declared he’ll run for lord mayor in October.
