MAYOR Val Schier feels her image needs better care and to do that has launched her own website to connect with the community.
Joining the likes of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and US President Barack Obama in constructing personal websites, valschier.com.au was launched this week.
It spruiks the mayor’s achievements, while giving the public access to media releases, speeches, photos, press kits and an insight into Cr Schier and her council life.
The website is not funded or supported by the council, taken by some as confirmation the mayor is dissatisfied with her public image as recently managed by council staff.
This is despite an increase in media releases sent out by the council’s communications team in the past year – in May 2009, 33 media releases were sent, compared with 13 in May 2008.
"That (valschier.com.au) is really about communicating with my supporters and with anyone who is interested in how I am actually going in office," Cr Schier told The Weekend Post.
"It is fully funded by myself and is about just connecting with the community in a different way.
"We put media releases out, sometimes they are picked up but sometimes people don’t know about all the good things we are doing."
The website, constructed by Cairns company Rutten Technology Services, already has 500 subscribers and Cr Schier plans to update the site twice a week.
Cr Schier said she had intended to launch the website for the past 12 months but had been too busy to find time.
"It’s something I wanted to do certainly because it is distinct from the council," she said.
"I can probably have a few more personal opinions that I can get across and people can see me as I really am and get another slant on what is actually happening with the mayor.
"I do know that the diary, a month in the life of Val Schier, has created a huge amount of interest," she said.
"People can’t believe exactly what I do in a month."
