Wyndham councillors have formally thanked Preet Singh for his role as Mayor and expressed confidence in his continued service to the community, marking a more conciliatory turn after months of political pressure, protests and public attacks.

A notice submitted to Wyndham City Council’s chief executive confirms a special council meeting will be held at 5 pm on Thursday, July 23, at the Wyndham Civic Centre in Werribee to elect a replacement Mayor for the rest of the term till November 2026.

The meeting was requested following the vacancy created by Cr Singh’s resignation.

The document was signed by councillors Josh Gilligan, Mia Shaw, Shannon McGuire and Maria King.

The councillors thanked Cr Singh for his decision and acknowledged the toll the controversy had taken on his family.

The notice said,

“This acknowledgement extends to his wife and daughters who have endured a very difficult period as conscripts to the drawbacks of a family member in the public spotlight.”

The councillors also recognised that Cr Singh would continue representing Bemin Ward and said they had confidence he would remain “dedicated and committed” to his constituents and to building a liveable city.

The statement presents a markedly different tone from the political confrontation that followed revelations in March that Cr Singh had written a character reference in April 2024 for a man later convicted of child sexual offences.

The reference was written before Cr Singh was elected to Wyndham City Council. He subsequently condemned child sexual abuse, acknowledged that providing the letter had raised legitimate questions about his judgment and apologised for the distress caused, particularly to the victim and people affected by sexual violence.

However, the apology did not end the campaign against him.

On April 1, Wyndham’s other 10 councillors jointly called for his resignation, saying the community needed confidence in its mayor and that the controversy had destabilised the council. They later asked the Victorian Government to begin a process that could remove him from the council entirely.

A unanimous motion of no confidence was passed on April 27, although the vote had no legal power to remove Cr Singh from the mayoralty.

Cr Singh initially stepped aside from mayoral duties before returning later that month. He maintained that he had committed no criminal or unlawful act and said criticism had moved beyond legitimate scrutiny into a sustained political and personal campaign.

He also spoke publicly about the harm caused to his wife and children, saying his family had been subjected to threats, abuse and intense public pressure over a letter he wrote as a private citizen before entering local government.

In a video announcing his resignation, Cr Singh said he had decided to step down on his own terms so the council could move beyond the controversy and concentrate on delivering for residents. He made clear that he was resigning from the mayoralty, not withdrawing from public service.

The decision allows Wyndham to elect a new mayor while preserving Cr Singh’s mandate as the elected representative of Bemin Ward.

The latest council notice is important because it recognises that accountability and public disagreement do not justify the indefinite targeting of an elected representative’s family.

Cr Singh has accepted that writing the reference was an error of judgment. He apologised and repeatedly stated that he did not excuse or minimise the offences committed. Yet the political response continued for months, including repeated protests, parliamentary criticism and demands that he be removed not only as mayor but also from the council.

Supporters of Cr Singh have argued that the campaign became disproportionate and increasingly detached from the circumstances in which the reference was written.

He was not accused of committing an offence, interfering with the prosecution or using his position as mayor to assist the convicted man. The letter predated his election to council, and the court remained responsible for assessing what weight, if any, it should receive.

None of that removes the right of residents or councillors to question his judgment. However, it does raise questions about whether one decision should permanently erase an individual’s record of community work or justify sustained attacks against relatives who played no role in the matter.

Cr Singh was elected to Wyndham City Council in November 2024 and served as deputy mayor before being elected mayor in March 2026. At the time, he said his priorities included securing greater investment in roads, rail, health, recreation and community infrastructure for one of Australia’s fastest-growing municipalities.

The four councillors who signed the special-meeting notice said his resignation reflected a collective determination to return the council’s focus to delivering for residents “without fear or favour”.

Their statement does not erase the disagreements of recent months, nor was it signed by every Wyndham councillor. But it does provide an official acknowledgement that Cr Singh and his family endured a difficult period and that he remains capable of contributing to the city as an elected councillor.

For Cr Singh, the resignation closes a brief and bruising mayoral term. But the formal recognition from fellow councillors makes clear that it does not end his public service—or the confidence some colleagues continue to place in his commitment to Wyndham.

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