Four of Warrnambool's newly elected councillors have either resigned their positions or membership of the city's outspoken ratepayers group.
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Ben Blain has resigned his position as vice-president of the Warrnambool Ratepayers Association - a role he has held for the past 12 months - but will remain a member of the group.
Angie Paspaliaris was one of the Warrnambool Ratepayers Association's founding members and held the position of treasurer for the past two-and-a-half years.
After winning a seat on council she has stood down from her position and is no longer a member of the association.
Max Taylor has also decided to stand down after his "surprise" win in the Warrnambool City Council elections last week, jumping from 10th spot into sixth.
Richard Ziegeler, who also joined the ratepayer group when it was first formed, stood down his membership during the election campaign and has now resigned.
Association president Brian Kelson said all councillors could have probably kept their places and membership on the association but had done the responsible thing and stepped down from either their positions or membership altogether.
"We wish them all the best on the next part of the journey for four years. It's going to be exciting and I've got high hopes we'll get back on track as a city," he said.
Mr Kelson said it was up to individual councillors as to how they felt about whether they still needed to part of the ratepayers group.
"I think they've all done a responsible thing," he said.
"If you look at the way the vote went, the people voted.
"It's a democracy. That's how it works."
Mr Kelson said that because of the COVID-19 situation the ratepayers association hadn't been able to meet.
However, he said the group had picked up extra members during the times they were allowed to meet people down the main street during the election campaign.
"We intend to start off basically afresh. We've got a new council, we've got an exciting start," Mr Kelson said.
"I'm looking forward to the next four years with great anticipation."
The ratepayers group had been critical of the previous council over a number of issues including the Reid Oval redevelopment, new library, car parking and the Liebig Street renewal.
Mr Blain said the ratepayers association was a good way of getting community feedback, and everyone shouldn't have to step away from every group they were a member of.
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