Like some other countries Australia has three levels of government, local, state, and federal, and we also have a Governor General. As I have wrote about all except local that is what todays post is about.
Local councils collect taxes in the form of rates from property owners, they also receive money from both state and federal governments. The money is spent on local matters such as: town planning, rubbish collection, water and sewage, dog registration and local roads.
In local council elections, voters elect representatives to councils across NSW. Each council is made up of between five and 15 councillors (one of whom is the mayor) they serve 4yrs.
By-elections are held periodically when a vacancy occurs in a civic office e.g. a councillor resigns or becomes a member of state or federal parliament.
A mayor’s salary varies from council to council, my local council is Lake Macquarie, and our mayor makes around $113,000, where as Newcastle’s mayor makes around $125.500. My daughter is under Cessnock council and their mayor makes about $61,280.
joannerambling 
Dearest Jo-Anne,
That sounds in big lines equal to that of the USA.
A mayor here is not the same as e.g. a mayor in The Netherlands where it is a full job. Here often they have another job with this function.
Hugs,
Mariette
That doesn’t surprise me
😉