Sitting Mayor Lindsay Brown (Your Yeam Your Future), Milton Leslight Comunity Action Alliance, Pat McGinlay (Greens), Robbie Law (Better Way for Batemans Bay) and Anthony Mayne (Community Voice Eurobodalla) attended the meeting, which was organised by  Community Voice Eurobodalla.

Mat Hatcher, a Community Action Alliance team member, challenged each candidate on who would be getting their preferences, saying “it’s not where your vote goes, it’s where it ends up.”

Cr Brown said that it would be the community that would decide preferences.

Cr Leslight said that preferences were a “disgrace,” and that he would be directing his to his son (Todd) and Liz Innes.

Mr McGinlay said he would direct his to Community Voice Eurobodalla, Mr Law said he would give his to the Lindsay Brown team and Community Voice Eurobodalla and Mr Mayne said he would give his Mr McGinlay and Mr Law.

The candidates were asked if they were members of a political party.

Cr Brown and Mr Law said they were former members of the Liberal Party, Mr McGinlay said he was a member of the Greens, and Mr Mayne and Cr Leslight said they had no party affiliation.

Cr Leslight said he was not a “ruthless developer,” or a developer at all.

“I want to see economic growth, youth employment, to stop rates increases and see a lot more happy faces in the community,” he said.

Cr Brown said that whoever was elected Mayor had to be “across the issues” and that the job was impost on a person’s life.

“It is not about being popular, it is about making correct decisions,” he said.

Each candidate declared their support for a new year-round swimming pool, and Mr MicGinlay spoke of his determination of keeping supertrawlers like the Geelong Star out of Eurobodalla waters.