Some Brisbane residents will have to cast a vote in two ballots at the impending state election after the shock resignation of Brisbane City Councillor Shayne Sutton.
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The long-serving Morningside ward councillor announced her intention to resign on Monday, citing ending a long-distance family living arrangement as the reason behind her early resignation.
"I love my job enormously, but I love my family more," she said.
Cr Sutton is just one of five Labor councillors in the chamber, as LNP councillors won 19 wards at the 2016 election, leaving one ward each to an independent and Greens councillor.
As Cr Sutton's resignation is more than 12 months out from an election, a byelection is required.
The mother-of-two said she hoped the Morningside ward byelection would be held on the same day as the coming state election so residents did not have to head to the polling booth twice and to save the expense of a stand-alone byelection.
The last time a byelection was held was in 2010 in the Walter Taylor ward after Jane Prentice won the seat of Ryan at the federal election.
In the lead-up to the 2016 council election, three councillors retired but a byelection was not required for these seats.
A byelection is required when a seat is vacated in the first three years of the councillor's four-year term.
Cr Sutton said she would remain the councillor for Morningside until the state election was called.
A council spokesman said the council had not yet received formal notification from Cr Sutton that she intended to vacate the Morningside ward.
Once she gives formal notification, the council will inform the Electoral Commission of Queensland.
At the 2016 council election, Cr Sutton, who was first elected in 2004, went up against LNP candidate Nicole Hansson and Greens candidate Peter Melrose.
When Ms Hansson was asked if she would run in the byelection, she declined to comment, and calls to Mr Melrose were not returned.
Fairfax Media understands Cooklegal principal lawyer and director Kara Cook is a frontrunner for Labor preselection.
Opposition Leader Peter Cumming said Labor had a "fine prospect" to run, but remained tight-lipped about who the party's candidate would be.
"I'm quietly confident, but it will be a tough contest there's no doubt about it," he said.
Cr Sutton was elected when she was 25 years old, making her the youngest woman to be elected to the Brisbane City Council.
From 2008-2012 she was Leader of the Opposition and is currently the shadow spokesperson for city planning and infrastructure.
Cr Cumming said the long-serving Morningside councillor had been a fearless fighter who was always determined to get the best for the people of the ward.
"Shayne leaves the council with the respect of her peers on both sides of the chamber," he said.
