Cr Coghlan, the council’s chair of Sport and Beautification, was long expected to run for mayor and confirmed it to the North West Star on conclusion of her final major project of this term, the Super Sports Expo.

She said she already achieved much in her term on council and now it was time to take the next step.

“I believe that what I’ve learned over the last four years I can take the city forward,” Cr Coghlan said.

“I’ve got the skills, I’ve got the knowledge, I’ve got the contacts.”

Cr Coghlan said she knew what people wanted from the town and funding and grants was one area which could be improved on.

“Our sports and rec officer does a great job helping sport organisations but we need someone in council who can help find funding and grants,” she said.

Cr Coghlan said water was a big issue for the city.

“When we get to a low percentage we’ve got to pump water in from Lake Julius which costs a lot of money,” she said.

Safety was another major concern for her.

“I was instrumental with council and police in getting CCTV cameras introduced and we’ve done two stages of that,” she said.

Keeping rates to a minimum was a third area of focus for Cr Coghlan as was better footpaths and more lighting in parks.

“The last few years have been very hard for all residents in Mount Isa and Mount Isa Mines has had it hard as well so we need to keep the rates as low as we can,” she said.

Cr Coghlan said she was backed up by “a strong team” of candidates running for council and she would announce her team in the coming week.