HIGH profile Logan City Council whistleblower Darren Power has launched his bid to become the city's mayor.
Mr Power, who was first elected in 1997, was one of four former councillors to avoid criminal charges stemming from a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation. Former Mayor Luke Smith and seven councillors were charged with causing an unfair detriment to former CEO Sharon Kelsey.
Mr Smith was already fighting charges for perjury, official corruption and failing to correct his register of interests before the seven other councillors were charged.
With 22 years of experience as a councillor, Mr Power said he was the best person to lead the troubled council beyond 2020.
"Whether you live in one of the established suburbs like Springwood, a rural area like Woodhill, or one of the new developments like Flagstone, your concerns will be front of mind every day for me as mayor," he said.
"For too long we've had developers and big business trying to influence decisions to bring about outcomes that work for them, but not necessarily the people who actually live here in the city.
"I will not accept any money from property developers or big business for my campaign, and I'm not doing any preference deals."
Mr Power said preserving Logan's green spaces would be a top priority if elected.
"There are quite literally hundreds of parks and reserves in Logan and the majority of the city is still technically rural," he said.
"We have an amazing natural heritage that needs to be protected and nurtured for our residents, visitors and future generations to enjoy."
Mr Power, Laurie Koranski, Jon Raven and Lisa Bradley were appointed to Logan City Council's Interim Management Committee shortly after all elected members were dismissed.
