Mayor gives thumbs down to smiley face

A smile is a fundamental part of life and it has been featured in songs, books and tales since the dawn of time.

But no one at Bunbury City Council could have predicted a simple smile could delay the election of the deputy mayor at Tuesday night's meeting.

Councillors had two candidates for the position - Brendan Kelly and James Hayward - and they were asked to pick their choice in a secret ballot.

However, Mayor Gary Brennan ordered a new vote for an unexpected reason - someone had drawn only a smiley face on a ballot paper in what was a close vote.

As members of the public gallery enjoyed a chuckle at the farcical situation, it was clear Mr Brennan wasn't impressed.

"I'm glad members of the public think that is humorous but I certainly don't," he said.

In the end, the councillors picked Cr Kelly as their deputy mayor in a 7-6 vote and he was sworn in without incident.

While the identity of the smiley-faced offender is destined to remain a closely-guarded secret, we can at least rule out Mr Brennan as the culprit.