East Ward ticket is led by Mayor Trenton Brown and your candidates are Mayor Trenton Brown and Clr Sophie Lara-Watson.
East Ward ticket is led by Mayor Trenton Brown and your candidates are Mayor Trenton Brown and Clr Sophie Lara-Watson.
Mayor Trenton Brown was elected to Ryde Council in September 2017. He is a highly qualified financial adviser of more than 20 years standing and has been an active community volunteer, serving in organisations such as Eastwood Heights Public School P&C and the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal organising committee, as well as co-founding the Central Eastwood Rugby Union Football Club. Trenton is a qualified Governance and Integrity Adviser – professional skills he will use to clean up the Civic Centre probity and financial mess left in the wake of the Ryde Labor’s 5 years in office. Since taking office in March 2024, Trenton has prioritised key issues, including:
Councillor Sophie Lara-Watson is a seasoned Chartered Accountant with over a decade of experience in audit and risk management across Australian and international financial services.
With her background in financial oversight, Sophie brings a pragmatic approach to ensuring transparency and accountability in local government. Sophie was elected to Ryde Council in December 2021, bringing her deep-rooted commitment to the community where she was born and continues to reside. As a local resident, Sophie understands the needs and aspirations of our community.
She is passionate about improving our quality of life by maximising the efficiency of Council’s expenditure to keep rates low and alleviate cost-of living pressures. Sophie champions effective governance and has used her financial expertise to improve transparency around Council grant processes, and to implement initiatives such as live event viewing sites at zero cost to ratepayers. Sophie is committed to preserving our local environment and community fabric by fighting for much-needed community infrastructure, in order to sustain Ryde’s exponential growth
